This is the way the world ends - Not with a bang but a whimper.

T. S. Eliot

Yesterday HP announced that they would (among other things) spin off their PC business (and thus effectively divest from it). Take note of this event - as it will mark the end of the PC era. At least the PC era as we know it.

A little while ago IBM completely divested from their PC business by selling their notebook unit to the Chinese manufacturer Lenovo. Before that HP bought Compaq. Dell is struggeling. PCs will go the way of television sets - brand manufacturers (often companies which built their fortunes on this very business) can’t compete anymore and divest. PCs will be built by upstart Asian manufacturers. They become complete commodities. The exact same thing is happening (in a later stage) in TV sets: There is basically no large, branded manufacturer left (or they are bleeding money such as Sony).

For me this is the end of the PC era. It went with a whimper.

Now hail the new king. Long live the smartphone.