The PC is past its prime: Report

On Oct. 26, Microsoft released its latest operating system, Windows 8.

This past week, market research firm NPD released two data points that indicate a chilly public reception to the new OS.

First, the report noted that in the four weeks following the release of Windows 8, sales of Windows-powered PCs dropped by 21%.

Secondly, it said that during the week of Black Friday, Windows PC notebook sales fell 10%.

This is a far cry from the sharp rebound the PC industry saw in late 2009 when the last version of Windows was released.

Meanwhile, according to all indications, sales of mobile gadgets, particularly those running on the Apple and Google Android platforms, continue to skyrocket.

The single most important trend in technology today is the shift of consumer dollars and excitement away from the PC and on to newer, sexier mobile gadgets such as the iPad and the Galaxy.

I remember the good old days back in the 1980s and early 1990s when it was a big, big deal when someone bought a computer, simply because computers were relatively new.

But these days, just about everyone has a computer, and that means the sheer thrill of newness has completely worn off.