The latest reports from computer makers leave little doubt that people by the millions are buying tablet computers and smart phones instead of desktop computers.
It is not that a tablet or phone can take the place of a desktop computer, but for those who have a desktop computer, purchasing a smart phone or tablet makes it easy to postpone the replacement of the desktop computer for several years. To the consumer, this doesn’t seem like a big change. After all, with a desktop computer replacement you can barely see the difference between the old computer and the new one, and computer users don’t necessarily stop to ask how long they have had their computer. But to the computer industry, a five-year delay in purchasing a computer is as good as a lost sale.
