PC shipments shrink at record rate


In two separate reports on global PC business, it is clear that we are in post PC era. First, IDC said global PC shipments declined 13.9 percent to 76.3 million units in the first three months of the year, from 88.6 million the previous year, the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines and the steepest quarterly decline since 1994. This means that Global PC shipments suffered their biggest-ever contraction last quarter. IDC report showed declines across all regions on an annual basis and it is clear PCs had become a less attractive alternative to tablets and other mobile devices because of the new operating system’s radical changes to the user interface and the removal of the familiar Start button, as well as the rising costs associated with touch facilities. IDC said the reduction in PC shipments last quarter was not a surprise due to the declining attraction of PCs for consumers.

In the other research, Gartner Inc also revealed that global PC shipments in the last quarter had dropped to their lowest level since the second quarter of 2009, contracting 11.2 percent to 79.2 million units last quarter from 89.2 million the previous year. Gartner says that consumers are migrating content consumption from PCs to other connected devices, such as tablets and smartphones. Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors. Combined shipments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa fell for the third consecutive quarter to 23.3 million last quarter, a 16 percent decline year-on-year and the biggest-ever decline since Gartner began tracking the region, the report said. I made the post PC switch after release of iPad one and so far no regrets. Have you made the switch?

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