It is no secret that smartphones and tablets are changing the very face of computing. These mobile devices have, for some time now, been cutting into the market share of personal computers, both desktops and notebooks.
Now a new survey confirms what the technology world already knows — active usage of these mobile devices is cutting into PC time.
This shift towards mobile computing was foreseen even during the 80s and 90s, the two decades when desktop computers reigned supreme. Then laptops took over the world in the 2000s.
The various market statistics and shipment numbers already provided us with a pretty good idea that those that already have a decent PC are not in the frame of mind to buy a new one anytime soon. But we did not have a good perspective on is how mobile devices are affecting the usage of PCs.
Well, they have affecting it quite notably — at least in the UK.
A new report by UK communications regulator, Ofcom, titled the 2013 Communications Market Report reveals that even though PCs continue to be the most popular of devices, they now only account for 74 percent of all Internet usage.
This means that close to 26 percent of technology users now prefer tablets and smartphones over their desktops and laptops.
A lot of these users are even starting to use slates as full PC replacement devices. The increasingly powerful computing power of smartphone and tablets, that escalates every few months it seems, is now having a large say in the success of these mobile devices as the platform of choice.
This isn’t exactly a problem — except for PC manufacturers, of course — but it clearly shows that people are now more comfortable using tablets and smartphones.
And this is one factor that will define computing in the near and immediate future.
