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Personal Computers and the Economy: The Importance of 2010

Personal Computers and the Economy: The Importance of 2010Author: Eric Everson, MBA, MSIT-SE – MyMobiSafe.comA global view of the economy points to uncertainty around the world, but some industries are certainly better off than others.
Written by MobileTech , Contributor

Personal Computers and the Economy: The Importance of 2010 Author: Eric Everson, MBA, MSIT-SE – MyMobiSafe.com

A global view of the economy points to uncertainty aroun d the world, but some industries are certainly better off than others. Earnings reports from companies like Hewlett-Packard (HP), Dell, and Apple are generating headlines these days, but for a bigger reason than most people realize.

Just like many other industries such as automotive and healthcare, the business of the technology industry is cyclic. What is particularly interesting about the computer sector of the technology industry is that it is poised to experience serious growth throughout 2010 despite what might be a dismal year for many other industries. Sure, you might say that as the “MobileTech” I am inclined to be biased toward innovative tech growth, being that as a software engineer and seasoned financial analyst, I walk comfortably between the worlds of business and technology and speak both languages fluently. In analyzing both sides of the field, the truth is that there is a cyclic undercurrent that has setup a perfect storm for the computer sector, regardless of my optimism.

What’s going on? It’s simple really; the world is ready for a massive computer upgrade. You see the world really began buying personal computers in mass around 1998; given the four year average lifespan of a personal computer, that equates to a four year cyclic pattern that results in huge numbers every four years for the technology industry. Despite the economic woes and disheartening unemployment numbers, the world needs computers to simply move forward. From those of us that take on mobile working roles to those that utilize online job search websites, we need our computers and the reality is that four year old paper weight is just not cutting it anymore.

In the span of four years personal computers have evolved tremendously; today we have incredibly more storage, processing speed, and battery life compared to legacy systems. In addition we have a growing number of jobs and new technologies that demand portability. The laptop market (or tablet in the case of Apple) stands to experience a tremendous upswing as so many of us make the investment (that we traditionally postpone as long as we can) in buying a new computer. With a sluggish economy, many people are turning to their own resourcefulness and are starting their own small businesses.

For anyone considering starting a new company, a new laptop should be considered the most important business expense they face. The last thing you want to do is pull out your dinosaur of a laptop and wait endlessly for it to load when you have your first face-to-face client meeting. If you thought the kind of car you drove spoke to your character, you got it all wrong; your laptop carries way more status than you might think. It does not have to be an Apple (though they make great laptops) but a new shiny laptop tells a client that you have the technical savvy and resources that are looking to hire.

It does not matter if you are starting a wedding planning business, a consulting company, or otherwise; you need a computer that reflects who you are as an entrepreneur. Even if you are not starting a business this year, with so many universities integrating online classes, you may decide that now is the time to refresh or finish your education… hence another need for a new computer.

The simple truth about the technology market is that every computer is a sum of its parts. It is rare to find a quality system that is built with all in-house parts from a single manufacturer; in fact, that is exactly the kind of system to steer clear from as no technology company produces enough market leading computer components to build a complete system of its own. We buy our computers on a cyclic rotation and luckily for the technology industry (and perhaps for a few inspired entrepreneurs in this field) 2010 is a huge year for personal computer sales. Everyone from component manufacturers to computer clearing houses stand to enjoy a great 2010.

So what are you waiting on? You know your system has become more of a burden than an ally, so take the plunge this year and join the millions of us that will upgrade in 2010.

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