The days of big computers at home for leisure are over. The world has forever changed with the introduction of smartphones and tablets. On the other hand, you could argue that desired user applications haven’t changed that much. Even back in 2004, it was not uncommon for my Dad to ask to use the computer for a short time just to check E-mail, then us kids could continue playing on the computer for the rest of the time. I’m sure the condition was exactly the same in hundreds of thousands of other households with computers in them. The point of using a smartphone or tablet to check your E-mail is that the device is better suited for that purpose: You want a small, low-power, cool, quiet, portable, hassle-free device to do a simple task like checking your E-mail, yet that task requires a high-end computer. A smartphone almost fits this bill perfectly, although it still consumes more power than would be ideal.
You can argue that the reason laptops became wildly popular as soon as they became economic was for the same reason: people wanted a small and simple device for doing small and simple tasks. Well, I should clarify this point: what seemed, to the user, to be a small and simple task. And to that end, the device in its own right needed to be reasonably low-cost so that the purchase could also be small and simple.
Footnotes:
- Also, I’ve got to put this out. I have a past habit of writing and saying “tablets and smartphones,” because at one point that was the popular phrase in the media. But I really need to emphasize this point. Smartphone sales trump tablet sales by a significant margin. Yes, tablets have their use, but the bottom line is that smartphones are sold to virtually everyone, whereas tablets are a more discretionary purchase.