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The computing industry has changed dramatically over the past few months. On the one hand, we’ve seen chips like the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips deliver huge improvements in native performance on laptops (especially with integrated graphics), and on the other hand, the RAM crisis has caused technology prices to skyrocket.
What is the key factor connecting it all? Advancing artificial intelligence. With the largest memory makers shifting priorities to allow AI data centers to flourish, and even Micron stating that “DRAM shortages are likely to persist for quite some time,” it’s clear that PCs, phones, gaming consoles, and everything in between will become premium as soon as this year. Heck, there’s even concern that some of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs are about to be discontinued.
Consumer RAM is being reduced, replaced by power-hungry AI, and even SSD storage is looking like an expensive venture. At least, Intel confirmed to Tom’s Guide that it has “roughly 9 to 12 months” of laptop inventory left before costs start to rise due to soaring memory prices, and one expert agrees that there’s still some time left.
Still, the tech sector seems more likely than ever to see a shock wave of price hikes, and that includes, to a large extent, upcoming PCs. Note that this is what AI services like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot are all about, whether you use them or not.
Given all this, the RAM shortage means that consumer PCs are very expensive to buy, and the situation isn’t going to let up anytime soon – memory shortages are expected to start around 2028 until memory shortages normalize. So, what will the landscape of computing look like in a few years?
As Windows Central’s Jez Corden rightly suggested, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is making a prediction that could be the path the computing industry is headed: abandoning local PCs in favor of subscription-based cloud computing.
Rent a cloud
In an interview with The New York Times, Bezos talked about how artificial intelligence has become a major focus for Amazon. This is not surprising because every Today, the company is doubling down on incorporating artificial intelligence into their products, apps, services, and more.
But the real issue came when Bezos mentioned a brewery he visited that had to build its own power station to “improve the brewery’s electrical efficiency.” Since there is no grid, they must build their own power.
“At the time, everyone was doing it. If the hotel needed power, they had their own generator,” Bezos explained. “I look at this and I think, this is computing today; everyone has their own data center.”
Interestingly, he continued, “This won’t last. It makes no sense. You’re buying offline computing. That’s AWS.”
This won’t last long. This makes no sense. You will purchase off-grid computing equipment. That’s AWS.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
This statement was said in 2024, and it rings truer today than ever. Many online services and websites rely on Amazon’s AWS to run (which is why last year’s AWS outage brought down Snapchat, Venmo, Ring, Zoom, etc.).
So what if this solution were applied to a device such as a local PC? You can have all your PC peripherals, such as mouse, keyboard, and monitor, ready to go without the PC itself – all thanks to an operating system running in the cloud that you can leverage.
For one, this is already underway. The best cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Nvidia GeForce Now, and even Amazon Luna have been steadily improving over the years, so much so that Microsoft now calls everything Xbox. Even GeForce Now offers RTX 5080-level gaming performance. But even before that, Netflix was already streaming movies and showing shows through physical media.
Now, that’s not to say these services aren’t expensive (Xbox Game Pass going up to $30 a month isn’t ideal), but compared to the increase in PC prices we’re paying due to the RAM crisis, it gives companies a reason to start leasing hardware for cloud computing.
It’s a scary idea, but Ramiguidon is taking it one step further.
Will the AI ​​bubble burst first?
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Artificial intelligence is a top priority for most technology companies, and billions of dollars are being poured into data centers to ensure the results are worth the money. But now, almost everything consumers see is AI garbage and Grok being used to generate sexy images. Not exactly “next generation.”
ChatGPT’s Sam Altman said we’re in an AI bubble, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defended the “doom narrative” people have attached to it. The question is, will the bubble burst before we see it? all Are the real benefits of artificial intelligence emerging? It’s hard to say, but regardless, the technology will become expensive along the way.
Will it become expensive enough for businesses to resort to subscription-based cloud computing for their AI needs? I doubt this will happen anytime soon, but Bezos’ comments reveal a shift in the future of computing – where PC hardware becomes so expensive that we turn to the cloud.
Either way, PCs are going to get expensive, so if you’re looking to upgrade, you’ll want to buy now, or wait for RAMgeddon to break out.
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