There’s a lot of noise, news and commentary around the ‘Death of the PC’ with sluggish market figures to affirm this claim. Pollsters are predicting the demise of the PC, commenting on the receding tide of individual brand market shares, the exponential rise of smartphones and tablets, and the constant evolution of technology features and consumer preferences. Well, can we say it’s doomsday for personal computing already? Before we jump the gun on that, let’s take a step back since the story is more complex and layered than it appears to be.
I still vividly remember how the invention of Abacus was ground zero for the revolutionary gale of computing. When the first PCs made their grand appearance, it took the world by storm; with everyone marveling atthose devices which now sit on our desks. Zoom forward to the present day and PCs are better than ever! When it comes to creating content, exchanging emails, building those powerful presentations or even gaming, the PC still reigns supreme with powerful processing, thinner and lighter forms and advanced features. It would be unfair to write off this invention just yet; overlooking decades of hard work, tedious upgrades of hardware, periphery, software, etc., to enhance the collective human experience.
If we closely observe past technology trends, the next use-case for any futuristic technology is always just around the corner. In the last five years alone, we have witnessed incredible changes in the way we use technology. The pace of change has been enormous; we now immerse ourselves in sensory experiences that include virtual reality and PC gaming, awe-inspiring digital art and 360-degree videos. Today, our lifestyles necessitate that we work and collaborate across multiple platforms, around the clock, from wherever it suits us. These rapid advances mandate brands to constantly evolve and understand how technology is infused within every individual, business and home.
Over the years, we have seen PCs transform—from the traditional clamshell to new form factors like convertibles and detachables, creating premium designs and experiences that users crave. There is a captivating shift in the original premise of personal computing which meant a dedicated computer for every person and on every desk. With this shift comes an array of new features and capabilities driving the modern-day PC experience. For instance, a strong visual culture amongst millennials is spurring the need for better screens. In fact, surveys revealed that a great display reigns supreme as the number one PC feature that users value most.
More work-life integration also means users are multitasking between work and home tasks. A majority of users surveyed, emphasise on quality performance above everything else to handle their daily computing needs, from budgeting to online shopping, writing emails and streaming videos. Consumers constantly demand that their devices be custom-made to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, whether at home, in the office or on the go. It is about time that as brands we listen to our customers and factor their voice and feedback in the creation of purposeful innovation.
In the age of “Internet of Things” where everything around us has computing, storage and networking built inside, our focus should be on smart connectivity. With this connectivity, devices can be controllable and manageable to accomplish all the more, unleashing new smart services, such as home environment manager, health advisor, personal files manager, and even personal avatars and executive assistants. With more smart devices, more smart connectivity will happen, and more applications and services based on this connectivity will be developed.
As one of the leading PC players in the market, we analyse a lot of raw data to discover what really excites our customers. An interesting observation from our extensive research indicated that flexibility and mobility were major industry pain points across a number of geographies not so long ago.
Customers wanted a laptop that could adapt to their work as well as to socialising online. It was an insight of this nature that allowed us to disrupt the PC market, back in 2012, with the first-of-its kind of laptop in the convertible category. It was the result of constantly listening to our audience and filling the gap in a market void of a versatile device. Today, there is a variety of data sources to collate and analyse and our task as leaders is to “know thy customer” by fusing the most relevant and powerful pieces of data to create fantastic and consistent customer experiences.
Amidst the buzzing chaos, there’s something critical to remember: We use technology in unique ways. It would be irrational of brands to assume that all people use products or services in the same way. Even within the broad industry, individuals want and need very different things. Consumers constantly demand that their devices be custom-made to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, whether at home, in the office or on the go.
Being an eternal optimist, I would like to think that the future looks bright. PCs continue to reign supreme as the ultimate content creation and gaming devices. They are also evolving into thinner, lighter and more adaptable form factors with even more powerful performance. With more emphasis placed on better displays and gaming, customers can look forward to rich visual experiences. And powerful PCs that enable virtual reality will provide people with even more immersive experiences.
Rajesh Thadani is executive director- Consumer Business & E-commerce, Lenovo India