a laptop battery

Do you remember going to a video store and renting a VCR and a movie or two? Soon VCR's were common and everyone had one. Do you remember going with your friends and their parents to rent movies on a Friday night. It wasn't long after that when everyone just started buying the movies so that they could watch them anytime.

You likely acquired a large collection of VHS tapes of your favorite movies. Then along came this thing called a DVD. They caught on pretty quick and it wasn't long before everyone was buying DVD's and DVD players. Trying to find a VCR for sale now is almost impossible and a thing called Blu-ray disks are starting onto the scene. They may replace all of those DVD's.

So, the question is posed, will desktop computers become a thing of the past? Will we decide that all we need is our laptops and phones? Our society is one that is connected at the hip to computers. Some people start to panic if they cannot access all of their files at all times. The desktop computer stays on the desk and does not come with us wherever we go. Because it does not move with our every movement, we cannot gain access to the files on that computer wherever we go.

This question about desktop computers becoming obsolete is an interesting one because more and more our society is becoming obsessed with staying connected to the internet 24/7 365. There are constantly new ways being developed to accommodate that obsession. This does not necessarily guarantee that the desktop will become a thing of the ancient past, but let me pose this question: Do you remember 3x5 floppy disks? Do you have any now that you cannot access because no computer you have access to has a floppy disk reader in it?

So let's play devil's advocate here and ask the question, what are the reasons that desktop computers will stick around? Why can we not do everything and more with the laptop that we do with a desktop? One thing that could be taken as a hint that desktops are going to stick around is the continuing manufacturing and improving of desktop computers. If manufactures saw a trend significant enough against desktops, then they would not continue to improve them and manufacture them.

Another reason why desktop computers may not be leaving anytime soon is the instinctive need people have to have a "home base". They need a place that they can start from, even if they need to take the show on the road only a few minutes later. Also, some people just plain prefer to work on a desktop and only function from a laptop when it is necessary.

We are society that craves to be connected. We like not being tied down to an office and a desktop that is not mobile. Many people are finding it rewarding to work outside on the back deck, in the park, and almost anywhere else that they would like. As crazy and unhealthy as it is, many employers like idea of a laptop too, because their employees can take the laptop on vacation and remain connected to work enough to prevent major crisis from happening in their absence.

Certainly network applications will use desktops as part of the main piece of a network, but desktops for every employee may someday fade in the sunset with the VCR. Only time will tell.

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