Are Applications Going to Replace Desktop Software

Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am going to elaborate a bit on a phenomenon that I've come across in recent years: mobile application (in platforms like: iOS or Android) coming straight into our lives, consuming hours of our time daily.

 This is no secret to say that these applications have infiltrated niches that previously were implemented by desktop software. Interesting niches coming into my mind: instant messaging (like: Whatsapp vs. Yahoo Messenger), Games (when have you played games on a PC since the app have come in).

Does PC software stand a chance, or will it diminish to almost nothing compared to the vast ocean of applications? Reasons why applications are going to make PC software disappear:

 1. Applications are mobile and can be used everywhere. Software can be used on computers, which means that you can use them while sitting on the toilets..

 2. Applications are very easy to install and uninstall, usually a single click and 20 seconds of downloading. Software takes a longer time to install and uninstall, usualy not less than 2 minutes.

3. Applications serve a wider spectrum of niches. many niches can't be supported by software, as it's confined to static work station. Software can't give you road routing advice or answer where is the nearest restaurant.

 Reasons why PC software is going to survive:

 1. A PC has a large screen, thus many niches of programs can't really function properly on other devices. Can you write code on a mobile phone? Can you edit a photo on small tablet?

 2. A PC has a superior computation strength, thus many types of software can't even be run on mobile devices. Can you think of playing FIFA games on a cellphone or even a tablet? The players would run slower that your grandmother..

 3. A PC has a comfortble keyboard which enables the user enter inputs much faster than on mobile devices. This gives an advantage to PC software with users who feel more natural with a physical keyboard.

So what is going to happen? The most relaistic scenario is that PC software will gradually diminish to a level where it serves mainly office routines tasks: letters, spreadsheets, software development, graphic design. We need to take into consideration that the mobile devices (especially tablets) will improve tremendously in the future decade, so the technical advantage of the PC is going to be minimized.