Expressing an opinion that is contrary to Apple CEO Steve Jobs' belief that the importance of personal computers (PCs) will diminish in the near future, the Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at the Wall Street Journal's D8 conference that the popularity of the PCs will continue as the system will evolve further.

During the course of his Thursday morning interview, Ballmer told WSJ's Walt Mossberg that PCs will remain popular even in a scenario where an increasing number of people in the world carry smartphones and devices like the Apple iPad.

Saying that he expects PCs to "continue to shift in form factor," Ballmer added: "I think people are going to be using PCs in greater and greater number for many years to come. PCs will look different next year, year after, year after that."

Ballmer said that though he visualizes a more multi-gadgeted world in the future, largely because of the growing market for entertainment-oriented tablets, he also believes that what people presently do on a PC will never get less relevant with changing times.

In addition to his notable difference of opinion from Jobs about the future of PCs, Ballmer also used the D8 platform to admit Microsoft's `missteps' in the smartphone arena - the gaffes that led to a decline in the company's market-leading position, a few years back, to its current number five place in the market.