Commentary

Report: In 'Post-PC World,' Mobile Replaces Laptops

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The digital age is entering the "post-PC world," according to new research from GlobalWebIndex (GWI) produced by Trendstream. PCs and laptops are being replaced by mobile handsets and tablets, as well as TV sets, as favorite go-to devices to access the Internet.  

The next 12 months will see a transformation in the way users connect to the Web, according to the research, with tablets leading the charge. Currently, 79% said their personal PC or laptop was their favorite device for accessing the Net. But a year from now, that figure will plummet to 42%, while 40% said a tablet, mobile phone or e-reader would be their top choice for going online. Another 7% will use an Internet-ready TV, while just 11% will continue to use their work PC or laptop.

And apps are part of the game-changing mix as well, GWI reported. App use is growing by double-digit percentages this year. Between February and June, the use of gaming apps worldwide was up 19%. In North America during the same period, the number of smartphone-using consumers who downloaded an app within the past 30 days was up 14%. "Apps and device-specific platforms help create a diverse and disconnected Web," the report concludes.

GWI interviewed close to 100,000 individuals in 27 different markets in June and July.

2 comments about "Report: In 'Post-PC World,' Mobile Replaces Laptops".
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  1. Barry Dennis from netweb/Omni, August 17, 2011 at 1:52 p.m.

    As noted many times before, the Convergence AAA (AnyThing, AnyTime, AnyWhere) devices will drive increasing wireless consumption, with "AnyWhere" display technology playing an increasingly important role.
    Whether it's college "textbooks" in which a one pound device replaces 30 pounds in a backpack, or a new generation of wireless routers for home and public spaces that allow multiple devices to run 5 to 20 "apps" each,
    always on .(Multiple Applications Aways On-MAAO) .
    Wireless bandwidth capacity is a problem, and a growing one, with 200%-300% growth predicted for the next few years. The FCC is not doing it's job of making sure there is an open and competitive marketplace, with reasonable access to broadband infrastructure, mainly because of special interest lobbying.

  2. Yuko Ichihara from NYU, August 18, 2011 at 5:39 p.m.

    To me, who was originally from Japan, it is no surprise at all when looking back at what was happening in Japan years ago. This phenomenon, mobile replacing desktops and laptops, is a natural sequence as a result of advance of technology and human behavior. The % of individuals owning PCs was much lower in Japan than here in the. U.S.; Japanese were texting rather than emailing from their PCs; applications of GPS became prevalent much more and earlier in Japan; mobile auction/shopping/payment/gaming became part of daily life for younger generations more than five years ago; they were watching regular TV programs real time for free on their cell phones before iPhone invaded the country as the ‘smart phone’ ; use of QR code was ubicuous four years ago already. Everything happening on mobile here and now is not new.

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