Raw computational power will always matter

I can't ever believe that I will get to a point where the specs don't matter.  The problem with Android performance is that so many manufacturers add bloatware to the OS and slow it down.  Android devices have to have higher specs just to get the same responsiveness of the iOS platform.  Hopefully the new initiative to keep the Android environment up to date across all devices will work out.  As an added benefit I hope it leads to the OS being optimized to run on the older hardware leading to performance boosts across the board.  It's a shame that Android devices are becoming disposable solely because OS updates aren't being developed.  Android fragmentation is a huge problem.  It's a shame to see Apple's dominance with a closed platform.

I know that any Mac I buy will be underpowered but it's ok because I don't actually care if my Mac has power, it's not good for much anyway in terms of what I enjoy doing.  My PC will always be a Windows behemoth with a ton of power in the case.  My heart is always with pure power.  The OS is much easier and cheaper to update than the hardware.  I must say, the X79 looks like a beast.  It's always fun to design the newest dream machine.

Do a device's specs really matter when consumers head to the store to find their next gadget?
by Don Reisinger
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57324932-17/do-a-devices-specs-really-matter/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20 

No, says TechCrunch's MG Siegler, who examined the many instances across the industry that show that even superior products on paper can't outsell their underpowered alternatives.

For example, Siegler says, Consumer Reports feels some Android-based devices are better than the iPhone 4S because they come with better specs, but Apple's device is outselling all other products on store shelves.

What gives? Siegler has some thoughts:

• Computers became "mainstream," which meant less tech-savvy consumers were buying products, and they didn't care about the specs nearly as much as power users did.
• The Internet's power has only consolidated in the last several years, and therefore, has made just about any device "more than fast enough for the majority of users."
• The rise of "new platforms" has helped level the playing field, and thus, make specs less important.
• At the end of the day, Siegler argues, all that really matters now "is how the device performs, the ecosystem, and the price."

Siegler might just have a point, especially when one considers the Amazon Kindle Fire. That tablet, as Siegler points out, is not nearly as powerful as Apple's iPad, and trails the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet in on a component level. Even so, it's expected to be a retail juggernaut, outselling Barnes & Noble's tablet and putting it in contention with the iPad 2.

The reason for that might simply be the device's usability. In CNET's Kindle Fire review, for example, senior editor Donald Bell gave the device high marks for its strong appeal to consumers who want to enjoy entertainment on a slate at the right price.

"Though it lacks the tech specs found on more-expensive Apple and Android tablets, the $199 Kindle Fire is an outstanding entertainment value that prizes simplicity over techno-wizardry," Bell said in his review.