Results of a survey at the Game Developers Conference:

Given the phenomenal amount of money Intel and AMD have invested in the future of desktop PCs, and that companies like ASUS and Gigabyte have continued to build upon and improve motherboards and other desktop hardware, it is very hard to take the various media 'experts' seriously when they speak of the desktop PC's demise.  Every so often one of them will write/broadcast that the desktop PC is on its last legs and soon we will all be using some piddling tablet to manage all our computing needs, but do any of them really believe what they're saying... after they just typed it up on their Hewlett Packard, Dell desktop PC ?  So what is the purpose of this misinformation and the oft fudged statistics to substantiate what to me are quite ludicrous stories? 

For mine, the multi-billion dollar tech companies would know about the impending demise of desktop computers long before we the buying public would, and if there really were an end date, would they really be striving to produce the next best thing in PC tech?  Of course not, and if anybody wants to check if desktop PCs have been scheduled for execution, check with Intel, AMD and Nvidia to see if they've shut up shop to start building hi-tech cars instead.

Of course PCs aren't dying, that's silly.

Only Kona's... heheh. 

'The desktop PC' may not be dying as such, but it has certainly outlived its usefulness to me.

I used to build my own rigs every year or so in order to keep up with current hardware trends etc.  Then more and more I came to the realisation that (especially when you have a solid networking infrastructure) with a few DLNA boxes (WDTV Live SMP for instance plays anything and everything with no need to convert formats), a gaming console or two, notebooks/tablets and windows phones there is barely still a need to keep a server or two in the mix and everything I personally require from the digital world is covered.

As to the comment about consoles vs PC hardware?  While of course the graphics on a console are and will always be eclipsed by those of a 'desktop PC gaming rig' I again came to realisation that 'graphics' do not equal 'gameplay' (and ease of matchmaking with friends etc.) and they (consoles) just keep getting better and better in that regard and other ways.  Netflix, video chat and the ability to tie your consoles in with your tablets/smartphones are just other ways they (consoles) have contributed to squeezing the venerable 'desktop PC' right out of my life. 

Lastly, (and perhaps most importantly) It has always burned me when I was building my own 'gaming rigs' to know that due to the piss-poor optimisation of PC gaming software I was having to buy/build for 'overkill'.  For me personally?   I'm done 'wasting' money on more hardware in order to run PC games decently while they 'memory leak' and 'crash' all over the place in the background.

Again, just my opinion.  Flame away........

Just kidding around, Kona. 

What the hell.....

http://www.robolinux.org/

I've used Ubuntu at various times and found it quite nice, as well as useful and not so hard to use as I'd heard.  Linux Mint is another I've been told is a good Windows alternative, and maybe I might just turn my 3rd PC into a multi-boot Linux box to have a bit of an experiment with the various flavours.  Seeing the one RND placed a link to has me quite interested.  The fact it suggests Windows programs can run within it made my ears prick up immediately.  Anyway, I've bookmarked it to take a proper look later. 

Thanks for the heads up, Jim, it's a good find.

Thinking of the A-Team movie with Liam Neeson: I just love it when a community comes together.

Thanks, Stramp

I had a bit more of a read and I'm rather impressed.  Thing is it was getting past my bedtime and I didn't want to leave my rig on unattended, but I will download it today and give it a try on my 2nd spare rig, which I think is best suited to Linux distros out of the three.  I definitely want to give Ubuntu another try and also give Mint a go, but this RoboLinux has me really intrigued.  I have a bit of setting up on the rig, but I will download it and the others now so I have them on hand when ready.

Oh how I love playing with new toys.

Installing Linux has what exactly to do with the thread op?   Just wondering if I'm 'lurking' in the wrong thread........or maybe every thread on these forums is just a 'chat' now......   

Just found this regarding Intel's refocusing on the desktop PC and thought it relevant to this thread.  While Intel has invested heavily in the mobile market and put desktop tech on the backburner for a while, it seems the chip giant has shifted focus to address the slowing desktop market,

Read more here

They are not all chat - but being a friendly community, some latitude is usually permitted.

If or when the OP is concerned his/her thread has wandered OT that's when we might step in and get it back on...