Steve Jobs Declares Post-PC Era

Tablets like Apple's iPad will surpass desktops as the dominant form factor for everyday computing, Jobs says.
With his company selling roughly 33,000 iPadsper day, Apple CEO Steve Job said it's clear the technology industry isready to move beyond the personal computer—a market long dominated byApple rival Microsoft. "The transformation of the PC to new form factors like the tablet isgoing to make some people uneasy because the PC has taken us a longways," said Jobs, who spoke Tuesday at the D technology conference nearLos Angeles.


"The PC is brilliant," said Jobs. "We like to talk about the post-PC era, but it's uncomfortable," he added.Jobs' comments came a week after Apple surpassed Microsoft in marketcapitalization. Critics say Microsoft's reliance on its Windows cashcow has kept it from matching Apple's moves into hot new markets liketablet computing and mobile communications.

Despite perceptions, the performance penalty of virtualization is marginal in many cases.
How To Benchmark Virtual App Performance
Jobs said tablets will represent an even bigger threat to PCs in thefuture as the software that powers them improves enough to facilitateadvanced tasks like content creation and editing.
"These devices over time are going to grow to do new things," Jobs said.
Jobs also used his appearance at the conference to take another swipe at Adobe and its Flash online video technology.
"We don't think Flash makes a great product, so we're leaving itout," said Jobs, referring to Apple's decision not to support Flash onthe iPhone or iPad.
"We're going to focus on technologies that are in ascendancy.If we succeed, people will buy them and if we don't they won't. And, sofar, I have to say people seem to be liking the iPad. We sell likethree iPads a second," Jobs said at the conference, in Rancho PalosVerdes, Calif.
Jobs' remarks come on the heels of statements he made lastmonth, in which he claimed Flash is slow, unstable, and the number onereason why Macs crash.
Adobe, for its part, has criticized Apple for not using Flash, accusing the company of attempting to dominate the Internet.