PC Sales Decline

By: Zain Nabi  |   April 12th, 2013   |   News, Smartphones, Tablets

The sales of personal computers declined significantly in the first quarter of the year all over the world, giving a strong impression that people now prefer smartphones and tablets for computing rather than using conventional PCs.

 

According to a leading tech firm, IDC, PC sales fell 14 per cent, which was much higher than its prediction of a 7.7 per cent decline. The decline in PC sales is also said to be due to a lukewarm response that Microsoft’s Windows 8 received. The new version of the operating system that allows touch screen features failed to impress many users and this eventually resulted in a decline in PC sales, according to IDC. Reuters quoted Bob O’Donnell, an analyst at IDC, as saying:

 

“People think they have to have touch, and they go look at the price points for these touch machines, and they are above where they want to be and they say, ‘I guess I’ll wait.'”

 

Jay Chou, senior research analyst at IDC, is of the view that PC sales are expected to further decline this year. He said:

 

“Users are finding Windows 8 to offer a compromised experience that doesn’t excel either as a new mobile interface or in a classic desktop interface. As a result, many users find a decline in the traditional PC experience without gaining much from new features like touch. The result is that many consumers are worried about upgrading to Windows 8, to say nothing of business users who are still just getting into Windows 7.”

 

Meanwhile, another tech firm tracking data, Gartner, supported the view that increase in demand of smartphones and tablets has hurt the PC industry. A Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said:

 

“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.”

 

PC sales have been declining around the world since the last few years and it does not come as a surprise either because smartphones and tablets have provided users with an easy alternative that is portable and easy to use. This does not leave room for PCs to exist in the market as a competitor of smartphones and tablets.

 

Photo: Vincent Killbride