@SkamArtist @HSV002 @sephsplace @divinelegend @The3rdGracchus @LordChavas I've been considering doing this to supplement my income/increase my build skills. Cool to know it works out for you.

@HSV002 @The3rdGracchus Touchpads are always terrible because that is the first place where notebook manufacturers cut corners. Good, multitouch touchpads are out there. It's just that no one puts them in their notebooks.

@HSV002 @sephsplace @divinelegend @The3rdGracchus @LordChavas Their prices are inflated beyond belief. Even accounting for labor: when you have the parts, it takes no more than a few hours to put together a PC from start to booting Windows for the first time. Even if you don't know how to do it yourself, get a friend to do it or show you: I've built PCs for my buds. Most I ever got was a c-note and a case of beer. Mostly I do it for free.

@HSV002 That's a bit reductive, but you aren't far off the mark! I think portability and the fluidity of touch interfaces on phones and tablets are a great boons to the user experience. I won't get getting rid of my monster desktop any time soon, though.

@divinelegend @The3rdGracchus @LordChavas I never even looked when I built mine last fall. Checking the prices now, I built the equivalent of a $3000 Alienware PC for less than $1400. I could have bought a NVIDIA Titan with the money I saved!

@TheSkyrimStatue Probably just fine, though I expect that sales of iMacs are on the slide. I have nothing to back that up though, just speculation.

@LordChavas Amen, brother.

This refers to people who buy shitty, pre-built desktop PCs. The Windows 8 factor must also be considered: hardly anyone likes it and if that is all you can get on a pre-built PC and you don't know how to install another OS, why would you bother upgrading? Moreover, for many people who just use their PC to check email, browse the web, watch movies, and view photos, a tablet would suffice.

What I want to see are concurrent numbers on the sales of note- and ultrabooks and individual pieces of PC hardware.

And the process of throwing Square NA under the bus continues while the white elephant of Final Fantasy continues to suck money from Square's coffers.

This industry is so busy looking at the next, ephemeral "big thing" is going to be that it refuses to put out the fire in its bed.