Worldwide PC shipments will fall by 7,8% in 2013, according to revised research by International Data Corp (IDC). The company had previously forecast a “limited decline” of 1,3% this year, followed by a gradual increase in volume.
The new forecast reflects a shift in PC buying trends as users increasingly consider alternatives such as delaying a PC purchase or using tablets and smartphones for more of their computing needs.
IDC predicts tablet shipments will grow by 58,7% year over year in 2013, reaching 229,3m units, up from 144,5m units last year. It expects tablet shipments will exceed those of portable PCs this year. In addition, tablet sales will outpace the entire PC market (portables and desktops combined) by 2015.
The company now expects that PC sales will slide by a further 1,2% in 2014, with shipment volume of only 333m in 2017 — still below the 349m shipped in 2012 and a peak of more than 363m in 2011.
“As the market develops, usage patterns and devices are evolving,” says IDC programme vice-president Loren Loverde. “Many users are realising that everyday computing, such as accessing the Web, connecting to social media, sending e-mails and using a variety of apps, doesn’t require a lot of computing power or local storage.
“Instead,” she says, “they are putting a premium on access from a variety of smaller devices with longer battery life, an instant-on function and intuitive touch-centric interfaces. These users have not necessarily given up on PCs as a platform for computing when a more robust environment is needed, but this takes a smaller share of computing time, and users are making do with older systems.”
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IDC says it expects some replacements to happen in 2014, particularly businesses upgrading from Windows XP, support for which is expiring. However, the commercial market has been conservative with replacements, focusing on individual systems more than large upgrade projects, it says. Also, workers at many companies already have portable PCs with adequate configurations.
“The motivation to buy a new system due to falling prices or to switch from a desktop to a portable PC is contributing less to market growth than it did in the past,” IDC says.
The poor state of the PC industry doesn’t seem to be translating into concerns for investors in Microsoft, however. The company’s shares have touched fresh 52-week highs this week above US$35. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media
