Arkaign said:
No, that's not even remotely accurate on many levels.
First, businesses are not replacing desktop PCs with tablets, that's patently absurd.
Second, businesses are not overwhelmingly replacing desktop PCs with laptops, but even when they are (not often feasible due to higher cost, lower productivity due to small screens and lower reliability), they are replacing them with Windows laptops, which essentially serve the same purpose. OSX has very little footprint in the business sector.
Tablets and convertibles are consumer-level devices for the most part. Surface Pro series is interesting, I just deployed 8 of them this past week for a particularly interesting firm, but they are companions to their desktop units, not replacements. Ironically, their previous configuration was exclusively Toshiba ultrabooks, but now they have Desktops with multiple displays for in-office use, and the Surface Pro 3s for road use, already packed and ready to go, zero disconnection/hassles involved in coming/going from the office.
All that is immaterial though, the VAST bulk of business PCs sold are chosen for large firms by an IT director with consultation with the CFO and budget managers, and the individual worker has zero choice on what it's going to be. You are simply issued one, and you get what you get. We're talking large firms here : GM, Toyota, Raytheon, TI, etc. I know because I've worked for most of these firms in a consultant basis over the past two decades in that capacity.
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Too bad for the companies using your services. Your "old school" approach from almost 20 years of experience seems to be failing them.
In the last 3 -5 years, many large companies have adopted the bring your own device of ipads and other tablets. The thing they are learning is that these outside units are bringing extra security risks. Just in the last 2 years, many companies are begining to block all of these outside devices. But, they also know that the tablets and laptops are essential for a growing portion of their staff. For extremely large firms, the percentage of employees like this would be smaller. The benefit for the company buying these devices has a lot to do with security. They have their own security softare and protocols on these devices. I haven't seen any companies actually converting to any IOS devices either.
You mentioned the screen size. My company also converted over a portion of the people using laptops to Surface pros last year. We all got the pro unit and a docking station. I still use 2 large monitors and a standard keyboard and mouse when I am at my desk. When I leave for meetings both in the office or out, I grab the Surface and go. When i get back to my desk, I just set it back in the dock and all of my stuff works again. We have another batch of computers getting swapped out in August, and they plan to convert those to Surface Pro 3s. The idea of a little bigger screen seems to be appealing to everyone.
I am not speaking for just my company, but 3 others that I know of that we do business with are doing the same or similar.
Peoples and businesses will adopt similar systems more and more as the availability increases and the price of these units start to drop over the next few years.
As you are proof, it takes a long time to change the mindshare of the IT groups and leadership.
I know that there will be a place for a huge amount of standard PCs for many many years to come, but technology changes are proving things may be different that just 4-5 years ago.
