Is the desktop PC on its way to extinction?

The introduction of laptops, followed by smart phones, net books and now tablets, seems to have started the debate on whether or not the desktop PC is on its way to extinction. Without a doubt, mobile phones and tablets are becoming smarter and they have enough computing power as previous computers which occupied large spaces. But can we say that the desktop PC is on its way out?
I remember, recently, when two of my children were about to start university, both requested for computers to assist in their school work. My first instinct was that they would want laptops but to my surprise, one of them insisted on a desktop PC. I was surprised because I thought it was all about portability and the ability to go mobile. But I guess I did not have the whole story. My son outlined his reasons for the desktop PC. He "wanted to use it for gaming and most laptops and other devices did not have the required specifications." Secondly, the performance and life expectancy of the desktop outweighs that of the laptop. Thirdly, it is easier to upgrade parts of the system unit of a desktop. Finally, he indicated that he worked better in a fixed position with the mouse and keyboard which the desktop had. He had made points which sounded cogent but is this the whole story?

The desktop PC comes with a number of components: wires and cables, a monitor, mouse, keyboard and speakers. To set it up, you require large enough table space. The laptop on the other hand, was designed with portability in mind. It takes up much less space and everything is built-in, except a cord for charging its attached battery. What the laptop can do on the go, the desktop PC cannot, for instance, browsing the internet, checking emails, retrieving documents while at the airport waiting for a flight, at a restaurant or bar, etc. There is therefore the possibility of the laptop replacing the desktop as it became more popular with consumers.

Technology is growing very fast and today, smart phones and tablets are making it difficult for consumers to decide on computing devices. The attention, it would seem, is on look, portability, size, weight and specifications. With products like the Blackberry, iPad, Samsung Galaxy tablets and phones, and more recently the Microsoft Surface tablets, one is tempted to conclude that the desktop PC is on its way to extinction because these new devices have significant appeal to users.
Well, I beg to differ. If anything at all, it would seem these new devices have come to replace the laptop and not the desk top. A cursory look around will show that more people now carry tablets and smart phones instead of laptops. For the average user who is into taking pictures on the go, Facebooking, tweeting and using other social media, these devices are their sure bet. Personally, I own a smart phone and a tablet and the downside for me is; it is quite difficult correcting errors while typing a document. I also find the keyboards rather small and in my opinion, not much productivity can be achieved with these devices.

Over the last three years I have found myself changing my phones three times. They seem to have their own unwritten “sell-by dates.” They actually go out of fashion.
The desktop PC is built to run high performance demanding applications and as long as businesses exist, the desktop PC will be with us for a long time. In fact, with the advancement in technology, the desktop PC is being reborn. The All-In-One PC (AIO-PC), with its large touch screen size of 27 inches is the new generation desktop PC. These PCs are quite portable and with Windows 8 now available they are becoming the best buy. This will seem to be an appropriate solution for those who want the desktop PC and portability. At the end of the day, the choice of a computing device for your activity is yours.