Why buy desktops?
It's hardly surprising to me that IDC is predicting that laptop sales will far outstrip analysts' previous predictions. In most companies comprised mainly of “knowledge workers,” a desktop is really just a laptop waiting to happen. Almost everyone needs to work at home occasionally and almost everyone has to work while traveling at some point, so anyone with a desktop ends up requesting a “temporary” laptop eventually (often followed closely by a request from that employee's manager to keep the laptop because the employee is working on a “special project” of some sort). In looking at InfoWorld's desktop needs for the current fiscal year, I'm planning to replace any retiring desktops with laptops. It's time to remove the desktop shackles! [Chad Dickerson]