Gartner predicts that by 2013, more people in the world will access the Internet on a mobile device than on a PC.

“Smartphones have conquered PCs” — CNN

According to research firm IDC, over the past two years, smartphone shipments have tripled, while PC shipments grew by only 45 percent. The trend, reports CNN, is indicative of a marked change in the kinds of devices people are using for everyday computing needs. The article also points to research from Gartner that predicts that by 2013, more people in the world will access the Internet on a mobile device than on a PC.

What does this mean for business? Read the full article here.

“Who Needs PCs? Growth Slips as Tablet Demand Explodes” — Forbes

In this article, Forbes writer Eric Savitz looks at the exploding tablet market and its effect on PC demand. Savitz notes that two Wall Street analysts cut back their projections for 2011 PC unit sales, blaming the reduced outlook partly on “cannibalization of demand” by tablets.

Writes Savitz: “This could be trouble for a whole assortment of companies in the PC food chain…there’s trouble here for the disk-drive companies, for instance, and a potential reshuffling of the players in the microprocessor business. It certainly seems like it’s the end of the PC world as we know it.”

Read the full article here.

Unrelated, But Interesting: “Password Reuse is All Too Common, Research Shows” – CIO.com

In an unrelated but fascinating piece, CIO.com reports on the rising reuse of passwords across web sites, and the implications of such “laziness” on the part of users. The research was conducted by Brit Joseph Bonneau and the article makes special note of the password hack of media gossip site Gawker in December 2010.

The article offers tips on creating secure passwords, and safer methods of keeping track.

Read the full article here. And for a super-geeky take on the issue, read Bonneau’s blog.

The Good: Forrester says the Tech Spending Downturn is Over — Huzzah!

Support requests can be sent only through e-mail, to which Google can take up to 48 hours to respond. Yes, two days.

Computerworld magazine reports that the tech spending downturn is over, according to a report released by Forrester. The research firm predicts that IT spending in the United States will increase by 6.6 percent in 2010, after falling 8.2 percent last year.

Even if Forrester’s predictions are correct, it will not necessarily mean a full recovery, according to Computerworld. Spending for 2010 will still be less than in 2007 and 2008. What’s more, the mag warns of the possibility of a double-dip recession – that is, a growth spurt, followed by another decrease of 3 percent to 4 percent. Cross your fingers.

The Bad and the Ugly: Lessons in Customer Service from Google

The tech media has begun rivaling the tabloids in its ruthlessness. Witness the current crop of articles about Google, whose almost-flawless reputation has taken a beating lately because of its customer service missteps regarding the Nexus One phone.

In an article in Wednesday’s New York Times, writers Jenna Wortham and Miguel Helft report that the people who purchased the new device have no phone number to call for customer support; requests can be sent only through e-mail, to which Google can take up to 48 hours to respond. Yes, two days.

In a piece published by CNN, the roster of customer complaints included “spotty 3G connectivity, a high early termination fee, poor customer support from Google and problems with the touch screen.”

Over at InformationWeek, writer Antone Gonsalves notes that complaints of so-so coverage are usual with any carrier, but “getting the runaround is not.” Nexus One users call T-Mobile, are then told to call the device manufacturer HTC, which then tells them it’s T-Mobile’s issue.

Google has responded with a statement saying it promises to resolve the issues. We hope so, for its customers’ sake.

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