Reply to post: Here's a suggestion:

Here's a suggestion:

Why don't the OEM get together and design some kind of PC that people actually 'really' want to buy.

You know, something with a decent sized screen (I am assuming laptops are part of this survey) and more importantly - decent resolution. Google Chromebooks are impossible to find in this country with anything above a 1366 (technically hi-def) res. You can buy a full on Hi-Res one in America cheaper but they refuse to sell them here. We have to pay more for less in the UK as usual. I'm talking equivalent prices obviously.

Something with really decent graphics capability. Yes, on chip gfx is fine for average use, but if I want to play Elite or some such thing, I have to start thinking of add on cards above the 100 quid price point. Include one! Make it a bog standard one, that just works. Once hooked, we can save up and buy a better one. Get some kind of deal from nVidia and provide an upgrade path to better hardware.

Something with really decent audio capability. Something compatible with most of today's audio software. Ok, it's a tiny market, I understand that, but there are those among us that would love to have this. A lot of people go to mac for this very reason. Apple are happy to have the creative type graphics and audio people, even though it is a tiny market. It brings kudos and ropes more people in all the same. Why would they have bought out eMagic to create Logic and practically give it away (making the mac as much of a dongle as anything else), why would they buy out Camel Audio just to have a decent synthesiser in Logic? It's a minority market right? So why go after it at all? So people buy Macs, duh. This fact escapes the OEM Pc makers.

Something that has a decent OS on it! This is a big one, and of course the main bug bear with all of this (apart from computers being fast enough and everyone having one - can't do much about that). Hell, why not put a dual partition on it - empty if you like - or horror of horrors, Linux Mint? We all know the answer to that. But that hardware is just going to keep sitting there, exponentially more so, if they don't start thinking outside the microsoft box. I wonder how much longer they will play slave to their master.

Something that has decent hardware interfaces on it. Back to audio for this one. They already include facility for surround sound on most mobos these days, but why not partner with someone like focusrite and provide a basic 2 in/4out with quality converters. Provide an upgrade path with that as well, if people want more. Not only us music producers would like this, but people that run home theatre entertainment systems. I don't know, maybe the converteres are 'good enough' for people who do this already.

Something that has some added value - you know - USB on the front, lots of ins and outs for connecting all the stuff that we use today - SD cards for example. Make it fun. Make it so that you think 'that is too good to pass up - it's got everything and more'.

And finally, make it look good! Make one for the gamer kind of spaceship market with all the blinkenlightz, and make one for the more tasteful refined connosieur (never could spell that word) of such things.

Throw in a bit of proper customer support. Yeah, we know most people are idiots, but humour us eh? If it works out the box (and let's face it - things are more compatible today then when you had to hack a printer cable to get your usb toaster to work [made that one up]), then most people won't need it. If you do need it, give us someone that speaks English and don't bloody call us 'wacist' for wanting that, thank you very much.

I don't know. Maybe include some kind of overall upgrade plan where in three years time you can expect to get the next upgrade (helps with brand loyalty) of the next great new machine. As long as it is in half-decent condition kind of thing. Make it so that the bloody thing does not have to dumped into an obscure atoll in the mid Pacific and poisoning all the fish (and us eventually). Make it so that it goes to a good place and someone that needs it (third world countries and little black babies with no feet that have to type with the stubs of their little worn out fingers). That way you don't have to think about dumping it for another few years and you get proper usage out of it making everyone happy.

I'll stop there as I'm veering into the ridiculous even by my standards.

I know I'll probably be branded a communist or something or other for even positing these wild ideas, but eh, PC sales are not suddenly going to start going up now are they. It's all down down deeper and down from here...

And on that 12 bar note, I think I'm going to try and find nurse - she's been gone for quite a few hours now and even I can tell I'm starting to get a bit uppity...