Late last week, and just days before IDF kicked off, that slip hit close to home for Intel, when the company .

Rattner didn't back away from talking about the challenges that face the PC industry. He acknowledged that it's more convenient to reach into a pocket or handbag for a smartphone or tablet to check messages when on the go.

"If I get back to my desk and I don't have a lot of time and my PC has been off, it's much easier to pick up my phone and look at the mail and see if there's anything urgent," he said. "I don't even power up my PC. You begin to see people segregating their workloads. Things like mail and messaging seem to be much easier on phones and tablets, and not so easy on PCs."

So what does the PC industry need to do? According to Rattner, the industry is already well on its way in taking steps to renew interest in PCs.

Among those steps are to build PCs with always-on technology, better battery life and stand-by time.