'Post-PC era' is misleading, expert says

The notion that the world is now rapidly moving into a so-called post-PC era is not entirely correct, says PCWorld expert Tony Bradley. In a recent blog post for the news provider, Bradley asserts that tablet computers and other mobile devices won't necessarily kill the PC.

However, popular notions of what a PC is and looks like will change, Bradley notes. That, according to his report, is evidenced by the changes being made to popular computing platforms.

"As the mobile and desktop operating systems for both Apple® and Microsoft® seem to converge and meld into one, the line gets blurry on the differences between the two in terms of experience, and it just comes down to picking the size and shape of PC that works best for you whether that is a desktop, Ultrabook® or tablet," Bradley says.

Ultimately, he adds, what consumers choose will boil down to price. Device purchasers will take the cost of different offerings into account before making their final decision.

Research from Gartner also shows the waning influence and declining market share of PCs moving forward. This year, analysts say, PC sales will increase just 4.4 percent compared to 2011, while the tablet market will continue on an upward trend.