I'm no expert regarding ARM emulation but when using the AVD (Android Virtual Device) that comes shipped with their ADK (dev kit) and I have Hardware Acceleration enabled (for video performance mostly) my games run at blazing speeds compared to a real Android device (mobile).

Perhaps your issues were that the emulator you were using did not have the advantage of hardware acceleration? Perhaps this new setup their proposing will have this advantage. Let's hope :)

Whatever.

Argue that all you like, but I don't see the relevance to this thread. It seems you just want to argue :)

You sound like you think it's a special privilege to have a computer and they're reserved for special 'adult things' (are you referring to porn?)

Have you just become and adult and feel a little superior to those you class as 'non adults'? I don't get your line of argument - it seems to have nothing to do with the original posts.

If an adult or non adult wants to have a PC to play games, browse the web, watch porn or lick their screen - they're all valid reasons, even if you don't like it.

Your last post actually supports my argument - if people are not doing the things that you classed as 'modern adult things' (sounds kinky) then they are probably just fine with a tablet/phone for their computing tasks. We're back to that 75%.

Anyway, I'm going back to doing some non adult things with my computer.

I'm not claiming that you and other US citizens don't need a computer for your taxes - but that may not be true for a very large percentage of computer users (the other 95% of the worlds population).

Why are we discussing tax again?

If you read my post again, I actually claimed that it was more likely caused by people jumping to the tablet/phone and that PC useful lifetime was probably a cause, but a lesser cause.

I disagree, I think you're projecting your use cases onto others.

Other than IT professionals, I know few if any adults that use their personal computers for these tasks. I'm a software engineer so my usage patterns don't match that of the average user and I'm not about to assume that others use their computers like I do.

I stand by my comment - out of all computer sales, I think that less than 25% would perform the tasks you describe, adults or not.

Well, no, you seem to need these - perhaps your tax is more complicated than 75% of PC users? Taxation is not the same in all countries - I have never had the need to use such tools to do my tax, ever. I'm not in the US (nor are 95% of the worlds population).

Sorry, I missed where I said that. I'm not in that 75%, I'm certainly in the 25% - I just don't assume others have the same use patterns as I. All of my non technical friends (we're talking adults here) do not perform these tasks using their PCs. They use facebook, email and browse the web.

Hmm, by default I believe not - but I use my Android tablet for a lot of web browsing, and I've never found that an issue. I'd say it's a non issue unless you're wanting to play flash games (no loss there :) )

I was never giving any opinion of Win 8 - my point is that I don't believe that it's a large contributor to the diminishing PC sales. It may well be a contributor, but PC sales were diminishing before the release of Win 8. Even if Win 8 was the best OS Microsoft ever released, PC sales would still be diminishing for other reasons.

I think this is why Microsoft is so hell bent on getting into the tablet/phone business and also why it made its hair brained decision to try and turn the desktop into a tablet - they totally missed the reasons why people were moving to tables/phones - It's not the interface, it's the convenience - something the desktop is a long way from (It won't fit in my pocket and it needs a power cord).

No, he's still laughing.

Well:

I think the items you listed sit firmly in that remaining 25% of users. Most users simply user their computers (be it desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile) to browse the web, play games and not much else.

Not really. No one claimed that the PC has no use left and that the mobile/tablets/Android will replace them entirely for all users. But there are a certain subset of users where these things will and already have replaced their PCs. That subset I think is a substantial proportion of end users.

While I'm no lover of Windows OS's (I not a big user, Linux has been my staple for 10 - 15 years) I'm not convinced it is the major cause for the drop in desktop sales. I see other reason as being greater contributors.

1) A good proportion (I speculate) of former PC sales were to people who used the PC to "consume", being media, Internet, email, games and whatnot - these PC are obviously overkill and cumbersome for the task (locked to the desk). The rise of tablets and mobile devices that are plenty capable of performing this role has caused this echelon of users to dump their PCs and migrate to their phone or tablet (a better and more convenient tool for that job (consumption) IMO).

2) There is another echelon of users who are not 'power users' their 5 year old PC is just fine for the tasks they perform. PC's are very over powered for a good lot of users, as long as their machine boots and they can get to their browser then their PC is still good enough - no need to replace. This may have been the case for many years so I expect this has less influence than (1).

But I don't believe people are as fussy about their OS as the vocal ones would suggest - most are happy if their browser will open.

I am by no means giving a vote for or against Windows 8 (or any OS) I don't have strong feelings either way. But I strongly doubt that it's a major contributor (perhaps a minor one).

This is a significant improvement over dual booting - dual booting would be DOA (IMO), but if you can leverage Android apps with little to no effort this is great!

As a mobile games developer, I say bring it on! Excellent news for my own selfish ends :)

Sorry are you saying that fractional reserve banking does not increase the money supply?

Was that a little dig at my education or intelligence? (why must people grandstand themselves like that?)

I never claimed it wasn't, but the end result is not. ie an increase in the money supply is an increase how ever it was achieved.

Anyway, you may want to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_reserve_banking Specifically the section titled "Money supplies around the world" and take note of the "Deposit creation multiplier"..

To quote:

So please explain again how my high school education failed me. (Not that we actually covered fractional reserve banking at high school here in our school curriculum, but anyway).

Slashdot has fallen a ways, in more way than one.

Sounds like we're in fierce agreement :)

"invest personal time in the children" != "being overprotective"

"being overprotective" == "being overprotective"

I'm very pro 'independence", allowing my children to have freedom and the responsibility to make good decisions, often by allowing them to make (and learn from) bad decisions. But there is nothing wrong with 'spending time with my children' to guide them, teach them and encourage them to be independent and do things on their own without requiring supervision (I hate that word 'supervision'). But it's equally important to do things together, learn to work and socialise together - that includes allowing my children to socialise with us adults, be part of our conversations and have their say and be listened to.

I had a lot of freedom as a child, I got up to all sorts of (mostly harmless) things - these helped shape me, provided me with the ability to make sensible decisions and a whole load of independence. But my parents still spent a lot of time with me - they're not mutually exclusive things. They used their time with me to equip me to be independent, social, thoughtful, etc. They became a sounding board to whom I could go to with any questions/problems with out the fear of being embarrassed/chastised/other poor response. They always had the time for me and for that I'm grateful - but I certainly was not 'over protected'.

Fractional reserve banking - It's not printing money, it's a little more complicated, but the end result is not that different.