Ana Garcia and Robbi Peele reports for the NBC4 News
| Monday, Sep 24, 2012 | Updated 11:11 PM PDT
"The things you can do on your smart phone today are things you
could do on your PC just a few years ago," said IHS analyst Clifford
Leimbach.
The research firm IHS tracks the use of Dram chips, which store
information before it goes to a hard drive. For the past 30 years, the majority
of the chips have gone into personal computers and laptops.
"Last quarter, the number went below 50 percent for the first
time," Leimbach said.
Two years ago, 60 percent of Dram chips went to PCs, but last
quarter the number dropped to 49 percent. Leimbach predicts it will dip even
further in the coming quarters.
"It’s a slow march but it’s a march that isn’t gonna change
course," Leimbach said.
The reason for this historic change: mobile devices, which have
dramatically taken over the dram chip market. In 2009, mobile devices accounted
for 5 percent of all dram chips. By 2012, that number quadrupled to 20 percent,
an indication that mobile use is exploding.
Browsing the internet, posting on social media sites, writing
emails and downloading music are technological tasks that were once relegated to
PCs. Now, all that is possible on smart phones and tablets.
Still, there are some functions that can only be done on PCs,
such as creating content like spreadsheets or documents. Smart devices are best
for consuming content.
Consumers who do not need to create much content and want to
get rid of their PCs need to take them to a recycling center because throwing
them it in the trash is illegal.
"The problem with electronic devices is that they have
hazardous wastes in them, metals like copper and zinc," said Pat Proanao, with
the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Those toxic materials could seep into the groundwater if they
ended up in a landfill.
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