Well, that would explain the Metro UI.

It's Schizophrenia developed to an art form.

I personally don't like the look of it to begin with (Metro), but given that, MS really needs to develop a unified method of app development or devs will lose interest really quickly (like before they start).

In fact they'd be better served by doing that first and having a large variety of apps for all devices available before W8 hits the market (RTM).

The PC is a dying market. Mobile (hand held) computing is the future.

In your dream...

Mobile ( hand held ) computing is great but :

- no usefull for office work... small screen and difficult for input data...

- no usefull for game who ask a lot of power and where player appreciate big screen...

- no usefull for video or quality music... only stereo and little screen... power problem with the more recent codec ( h264 )... limited storage...

- no usefull for professional... how much mobile will need to be linked together ( if possible ) for have the raw power of a server...

- no usefull for surf on the internet... too few site made for mobile and it is a hell for navigate...

The mobile market will maybe hurt the netbook PC market... similar performance... but some people like a real keyboard and a small but not so small screen...  

Edit: "T" beat me 2 it

We'll see.....

Perhaps as the mainstay... but viable alternatives to touchscreen typing have to be found... in its present form, it sucks. One alternative is the ultrabook. Another are the pad cases with actual keyboards... but that (or a roll-up or folding keyboard) are the only practical solutions at this point.

The PC has been predicted to be on the way out, but I think we'll see an equilibrium develop between the various devices, depending on need and any given person will probably use a range of devices.

I disagree.  There's always going to be a demand for a big screen, and eventually a computer will be attached to it.

I think , worst case scenario, PC's become the modern day DVD player/console (now console gaming I think is doomed in 10 years time or less), hooked up to the TV, and machines in the workplace. 

Handhelds will have a place, the only way I can see them replacing PC's is when they can project a big screen themselves if needed, and that may end up proscribed the law in some places.

That said, if Stardock developed its Games for Mac, I'd probably switch to Mac.  (may also apply if Stardock lost my business for some reason or another, which is unlikely, but nothing is impossible.   Capcom lost my business this year, and I never thought I'd say that.)    Then again, I'm not really a market worth catering to. 

My thoughts.

The PC consumer base is big and covers a wide range of needs, along with a wide age range.  I think there is room for all types of Computing, whether hand held, laptop, desktop or whatever else is in the future.  In a household of three computer users only one uses a hand held device (android phone) because it helps him keep track of things like doctor appointments.  We are both the same age, 63.

I also think that folks just entering the PC consumer base are more open to 'new technology' where as folks in my age group, not all by any means, tend to stick with what they are comfortable with.

Like I said, just my thoughts. 

Think: Streaming to the screen of your choice from your hand held device. It's inevitable. 

http://ipad2hdmicable.net/

Apple is even further ahead than having a cable.  You can directly mirror any iPAD wirelessly to an Apple TV  that share a wireless network and get a 720p HD signal over the A.TV's HDMI.  Full audio, full video.  Major corporations I work with and for are currently outfitting conference rooms with them so people can project from their iPad during meetings.  No muss, no fuss, no looking like an idiot while 3 PhD's figure out how to project powerpoint from the laptop at the wrong resolution so the slides look like crap.  And NO cables.  Walk in, turn on projector, turn on mirroring, present.

For mobile productivity, try using Keynote on the iPad.  Then consider exactly how many people really need the extra screen real estate & computational horsepower.  (Dev's, engineers, artists, video work, ...)  Students and academics are already switching over completely.

For what its worth, I have seen companies firing/ reducing the Windows specific developers on a massive scale.  Enterprise level software can be delivered via HTML 5, you can hire 1 UI developer to cover the iOS specific.  You have to hire 4 to support the windows ecosystem.  You might be able to cross purpose designers and some of the management / support, but still going to need 4 QA teams to support the 4 platforms.  (plus the quirks that each specific device will have)  And when you know your clients (Fortune 500 companies) are purchasing iPads for their employees at 10,000+ units a quarter, WHY are you NOT producing for iOS?  Your business wants nothing to do with the fastest growing tech platform since the Internet?

Yeah right....

Streaming, surfing etc is all good on a hand held, but.......

Skinning and designing 3D grafix on a hand held ?? Sure bacon    

And, by the way, if I want to release my stuff in the latter two methods, I have to use the Windows Store

im guessing they will take a percentage of your sales.... how much is the question, and will it be profitable? (for you, not them)

id love to make an app i could sell for decent profit....

Microsoft will take 30% and once you reach $25K in sales, it drops to 20%.

The PC platform isn't dying, but it is certainly changing.