8 PC's, 1 Laptop, 2 servers ...
But I run my business out of my house ...
Ludo
How many PCs are enough? 5? 10?
Summary
A recent, random survey of silicon.com readers showed that almost half own more than five computers - and many own more than 10. How many do you have stashed in your closet?
Topics
Despite a PC market in freefall, it seems silicon.com readers are still packing a fair few pieces of hardware.
Asked how many PCs - including laptops, desktops and netbooks - they own, 45 per cent of ZDNet sister site silicon.com readers who responded admitted to having between three and five.
An even more hardware-heavy 32 per cent claimed to have between five and 10 computers tucked away while another six per cent 'fessed up to having more than 10 machines. And presumably very large houses and/or understanding partners.
At the low end, 11 per cent owned up to having a pair of PCs, five per cent said they own just one and a hardware-shunning one per cent said they have no PCs at all (which presumably means they responded to the poll either in the office or on a friend's hardware.)
In spite of silicon.com readers' fondness for devices, the PC market continues to struggle in the face of the recession.
According to research by analyst house Gartner, PC sales reached 68 million units in the second quarter of this year - a five per cent fall year-on-year. There remains cause for optimism however - Gartner was initially predicting a fall of more than 10 per cent.
Some regions are more hardware-hungry than others, the market watchers found: while the US and Asia Pacific showed some evidence of a buying rebound, Europe was dogged by "ongoing weakness" in PC shipments.
This article was originally posted on silicon.com.
Talkback Most Recent of 124 Talkback(s)
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Ludovit22nd Jul 2009 -
13 machines in total here. With 8 active machines!
2 iMacs, 1 Dual G5 PowerMac, 1 Core2 Duo Macbook Pro, 1 Windows Vista desktop, 3 Windows XP laptops.
I also have 5 computers in mothball statis (1 iMac, 1 Windows NT, 1 Windows 2000, 1 Windows 98SE, 1 Linux).
13 machines in total (since I just have to plug in those in mothballs and start them up (I start then once every 4 months to verify they still work)).
No More Microsoft Software Ever!22nd Jul 2009 -
XP is supported until October 2014 !
I say that if you're using an older machine that runs XP fine, what's the point of buying a brand new computer right now?
I *only* have 8 PCs, and I have them all purring like kittens. I alternate between the older ones for one week each (Internet surfing, email) and only use my heavy-duty machines for serious work production, video creation, etc.
If you alternate between each computer for a week, they become a force multiplier and extend each other's lifespans!
dropmeoff27th Jul 2009 -
Guilty: 7 Active, 2 Inactive plus 3 devices
Guilty
Active: XServe 8-core, Mac Pro quad-core, 2x Mac Mini Core Duo, 1x Mac
Mini Core Solo, Windows XP Media Centre, Sony Vaio UMPC
Inactive: 2x Windows XP Professional (work quite well, but I'm now a Mac User)
plus when working I'd usually have a work laptop. Also 2 iPhones & an iPod
Touch which are in constant use surfing the web, e-mail, apps etc..
mattmuir29th Jul 2009 -
And this could become the norm...
The 3 Minis are used as media centres - each hooked up to an Elgato HD TV
stick & sharing an iTunes library for Movies & TV shows. Technically they do
the same function as a TiVo, PS3 (I have), Xbox 360 or a growing number of
devices. I believe that most homes will (one day) have such devices replace
the locations where VCRs once sat, or maybe more if you want library access
(or a HDMI multiplexer).
My XP HTPC is not used in the traditional sense either - it operates a touch
screen to control my homes electrical system (c-bus), and as a web server to
the Apple iPhones and iPod Touch so that they can also control electrics.mattmuir29th Jul 2009 -
I am guilty of wasting power...
total 12 physical computers: 7 active, 5 inactive
Active:
1 x HP dx5150 desktop
1 x DIY AMD Athlon XP desktop
1 x Lenovo Thinkpad T61p
1 x HP Pavilion zv5000 laptop
1 x DIY AMD Athlon XP server
1 x DIY Intel P3 server
1 x Dell OptiPlex GX1
Inactive:
1 x DIY AMD K6-3 desktop
1 x DIY Intel P3 desktop
1 x Dell OptiPlex GX240 desktop
1 x DIY AMD 486 DX5 (overclocked 4x40 @ 160MHZ) desktop
1 x IBM Thinkpad X30
It's just me and my wife. I am very thankful that she is so understanding and deals with the heat, noise & power factors...
sctang73@...17th Aug 2009 -
5 is O.K. for me. but I am retired
many computers is the norm for most people
ruthandan23rd Jul 2009 -
13 in the house
Wow, this article makes you think.
1 SUN Server
1 MAC
1 netbook
4 laptops
3 running desktops/servers
3 easy to put in service desktops.
2 Xboxes
1 WII
3 iphones
Add to that 3 other video gaming systems portable and TV based.
OMG!
That is for me, wife, and two kids,(one is 11).
Have we been taken over by computers?
sfaid28th Jul 2009 -
I want in on this
1 RS 6000
3 Macs
2 Laptops
2 HP Netservers LH3s
4 Desktops.
I have been trying to get that number down for years though.
nucrash22nd Jul 2009 -
6 and counting
Personally, my wife and I each have a computer; the kids each have their computers, and I have one hooked to the TV. We also have a laptop used exclusively for bill paying online, checking statements, etc. So we have six computers total and use them all heavily. That said, I built most of these from parts I picked up in yard sales, after upgrade left-over's, etc. so most of my PC's would not reflect in any company's sales figures or big company sales projections.
For me this is because I primarily don't use Microsoft products so there is not much benefit for me buying PC's from a mainstream OEM manufacturer. But I imagine most people of even moderate technical skill are in a similar boat, that their number of machines do not match their "retail footprint" so to speak.
Socratesfoot22nd Jul 2009 -
Let's See
1 MacbookPro
2 other laptops
4 PCs
2 HPUX servers
Guess its good I got rid of a few systems.
I probably need 2 laptops and 3 PCs. The others come in handy though.
snafu_7722nd Jul 2009 -
My Layout
2 laptops
3 PCs
2 XBox 360s....
Adding another PC later this year.
itanalyst2@...22nd Jul 2009 -
RE: How many PCs are enough? 5? 10?
Depends on if your a Geek and how much room you have. In my single bedroom Apt I have managed to fit in 8 systems including a server. It still looks good as far as the way I arranged everything and plan to add a few more later. Oh and before I forget these are all desktop systems.
I do not have need of a Laptop yet. May eventually get one and possible the new hands free controlled xbox. There may be one or two other systems laying around not in use at anyone time.
8-10 for me and more when friends come over.
docquesting@...22nd Jul 2009 -
the new hands free controlled xbox
"the new hands free controlled xbox"
It's just the XBOX... it's the same one that's out now, it's not gonna be new. Just the hands free part is new, as add-on.
Metronome4922nd Jul 2009 -
I only have three operational PCs.
I also have two (three if you count my Amiga 500) sitting around collecting dust. Then I have parts for two more PCs.
Letophoro22nd Jul 2009
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