With the buzz over the success of the iPad (NASDAQ: AAPL), it is inevitable that some people will start talking of it as a potential PC replacement. Speaking at the Wall Street Journal's D8 conference, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer's opinion however declared that the age of the PC was anything but over. In fact, Ballmer noted that more people will use PCs, though what constitutes a PC will keep evolving. "I think people are going to be using PCs in greater and greater numbers for years to come," he said.

Ballmer elaborated about how just about every computing device is a PC and that "The PC as we know it will continue to morph." When it comes to the iPad, and whether it competes with a PC, Baller thinks that the need for a general-purpose device remains, and that the iPad is actually redundant for many people.

While there is no doubt that entertainment-centric devices are popular, an issue that is relevant would be one of affordability versus utility. According to CNET News Ballmer said, "there will exist a general-purpose device that does everything you want because I don't think the whole world is going to be able to afford five devices per person."

And of course, while there are things that the iPad excels at, there are others that it doesn't do so well. Ballmer shared an anecdote that crystallized his point: "A guy tried to take notes on one in a meeting with me yesterday. That was fun. The meeting didn't go real fast."

For more on this story:
- check out this article at PC World
- check out this article at New York Times
- check out this article at CNET News
- check out this article at PCMag

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