PC shipments drop to a five year low

The sales of PC's continues to decline as people move to more affordable mobile devices. No surprise really. The desktop PC will become a niche market eventually for gamers or professional / commercial users.
Global shipments of personal computers (PCs) have hit a five-year low, according to new figures from the research firm Gartner.

Shipments totalled 80.3m units in the three months to September, down 8.6% from a year ago.

PC sales have now fallen for six quarters in a row, hurt by the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones.

Gartner said falling prices of tablets had further hurt sales of PCs in emerging markets.

"Consumers' shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets," Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.

"A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24470639
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Comments

  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
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    The sales of PC's continues to decline as people move to more affordable mobile devices. No surprise really. The desktop PC will become a niche market eventually for gamers or professional / commercial users.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24470639

    And anyone who wants a decent size screen or screens and real computing power... of which there will be a permanent solid base of users. The lightweight/casual/non-enthusiast brigade will manage with no proper PC but the user base will eventually stabilize (at some lower level than now).

    I'm surprised that PC shipments are only at a 5 year low though, they are doing better than I would have expected. A lot of people must be using both a PC and a tablet/smartphone (like meeeeee!) and of course, there are plenty of business users.
  • cat's whiskascat's whiskas Posts: 877
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    I did see an article that said it was the cheap PCs that weren't selling. More expensive PC sales and gaming machine sales are on the increase. I can't find that specific article but there are plenty of sites that say similar e.g. this one
    http://hexus.net/business/news/components/58669-pc-gaming-hardware-sales-unaffected-overall-pc-decline/
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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    Apple have also suffered a 11.2% decline year on year. Acer and Asus saw a 22 - 34% decline.


    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/10/apple_only_topfive_pc_maker_to_suffer_us_sales_drop_last_quarter/year
  • PES 2009PES 2009 Posts: 1,146
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    I've had my PC for quite a few years now and it is still going strong, as long as it works I can see me using it for another 5 years easy.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    Theres probably big companies that are finalising their move from XP and are in the process of getting machines shipped for any that cannot support win 7 but most stuff in the last 3-4 years will run win 7 fine so theres just going to be the replacement of the creaky single core p4's etc so won't create a major blip on anyones sales figures for entire systems but it might be worth tracking memory sales as they could go up as companies beef up their machines

    As for apple's drop i sense people waiting for the next refresh of hardware/os
  • yorkieUKyorkieUK Posts: 2,159
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    PES 2009 wrote: »
    I've had my PC for quite a few years now and it is still going strong, as long as it works I can see me using it for another 5 years easy.

    Me too! I have had my gaming rig for a few years now. It certainly does all that I want it to do at the moment. I play MMOs and there are couple of new games coming out in the next year or so which, very likely, my PC will struggle running. I certainly do not have the money or the inclination to buy a new PC just so I can play them. I will try my best to resist the temptation! :)
  • 2000motels2000motels Posts: 313
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    My PC which was bog standard when I bought it in 2007 is still going strong but I've upgraded the CPU, graphics card and put in extra RAM and it's very fast, of course it's not up to today's standards but as I'm not a gamer it does me fine, I much prefer a desktop over anything else.
  • TeeGeeTeeGee Posts: 5,772
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    The sales of PC's continues to decline as people move to more affordable mobile devices. QUOTE]

    Describing iPhones and iPads as "affordable" ranks with "affordable" homes!! :cry:
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,227
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    I can't understand why people prefer tablets in the house to PCs. When not on the move, I'd much prefer a laptop/computer to a little tablet. All that moving about with your fingers, and then there's typing on the screen, which will then reduce (I'm guessing) what you can see of the website you're on. If I had the money I still wouldn't choose a tablet over a PC. Unless, of course, I used the internet when on the move.....which I never really bother about when I'm out. But yeah, I'd always choose a PC/laptop over a tablet when in the house anyday. I prefer a big screen compared to the one on a tablet.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    It's a lot more complex than the market shifting to tablet computing, it's a combination of factors

    If you want to just do a bit of browsing and casual angry bird type of gaming and emails but you've only got £150 spare because your disposable income is squeezed then a cheap tablet will work, but you may have got a laptop if you could spare the extra £100.

    I use a laptop 90% of the time at home and normally I would upgrade it as it's over 2 years old but it would cost a lot of money and to be honest I would hardly tell the difference. This is a mac-book pro, but the same principle applies to most higher end computer gear that's well made and will last. Even cheaper stuff can last well over 2 years if properly looked after.

    There simply isn't the performance benefit that would make any practical real world difference so I think in general people are running their hardware for a much longer period of time these days.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
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    TeeGee wrote: »
    Describing iPhones and iPads as "affordable" ranks with "affordable" homes!! :cry:

    There are plenty of affordable (under £100) tablets out there. If you have a spare £120 head to Tesco and buy a Hudl.

    http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/ipad-and-tablets/tesco-hudl-review-50012441/
  • newda898newda898 Posts: 5,464
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    I think another problem is that technology has reached a point where there is no point in upgrading.

    For me, getting a new computer would be pointless as the technology now far outweighs what I use it for, which is mainly browsing.
    Whereas in previous years the speed of the machines would be making huge leaps that could be appreciated, now a faster computer would offer no benefit for me. Also don't think Windows 8 helped matters.
  • cat's whiskascat's whiskas Posts: 877
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    newda898 wrote: »
    I think another problem is that technology has reached a point where there is no point in upgrading.

    For me, getting a new computer would be pointless as the technology now far outweighs what I use it for, which is mainly browsing.
    Whereas in previous years the speed of the machines would be making huge leaps that could be appreciated, now a faster computer would offer no benefit for me. Also don't think Windows 8 helped matters.

    I agree, hardware has advanced much faster than most people need (they just browse the web, use email, perhaps a bit of Word/Excel etc) so they don't need to upgrade so often.
  • SiriusSirius Posts: 4,881
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    newda898 wrote: »
    I think another problem is that technology has reached a point where there is no point in upgrading.

    For me, getting a new computer would be pointless as the technology now far outweighs what I use it for, which is mainly browsing.
    Whereas in previous years the speed of the machines would be making huge leaps that could be appreciated, now a faster computer would offer no benefit for me. Also don't think Windows 8 helped matters.

    +1.

    While I previously would replace my desktop PC unit, either in full or just upgrading parts to the point it's no longer the same PC, maybe in 2-3 year cycles. While I wouldn't be without my desktop PC, laptop (circa 2007) or iPad (2nd gen) there's just no feeling of inadequacy using them for what I use them for.
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    Next year they will drop to a 6 year low.
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    I partly blame Windows 8 and the fact most PC stores don't sell Windows 7 machines any more. Many people walking into a shop would likely have been confused by the W8 interface (who wouldn't be? :p) and would have been put off buying a new computer because of it. Macs are great but for a lot of people they are too expensive.
  • emptyboxemptybox Posts: 13,917
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    I partly blame Windows 8 and the fact most PC stores don't sell Windows 7 machines any more. Many people walking into a shop would likely have been confused by the W8 interface (who wouldn't be? :p) and would have been put off buying a new computer because of it. Macs are great but for a lot of people they are too expensive.

    I wouldn't have thought so.
    New computer users are likely to be attracted to the colourful Windows 8 Start Screen.
    And experienced users would be well aware that Windows 8 is just as usable as Windows 7.
    Only a few numpties would be confused. :p
  • JeffG1JeffG1 Posts: 15,243
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    Laptops have Windows 8 too, so I don't see that being a factor.
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
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    Sirius wrote: »
    +1.

    While I previously would replace my desktop PC unit, either in full or just upgrading parts to the point it's no longer the same PC, maybe in 2-3 year cycles. While I wouldn't be without my desktop PC, laptop (circa 2007) or iPad (2nd gen) there's just no feeling of inadequacy using them for what I use them for.

    I agree with this and the preceding posts. I've just checked the date on my current PC, it was 2007 :eek: when I bought it, a dual core AMD and motherboard etc. but it's had so many upgrades since then it's not the same machine. Only the motherboard remains, everything else is double, quadruple or octuple what it was before. I've even added a blu-ray recorder, usb3 board, 3TB hard drive (and more), quad processor, god knows how much memory, better graphics card(s!) far better HD monitors, the list goes on.

    So my "2007 PC" can easily handle HD video conversion and editing, I've even done 4K video work with it. I'll probably still have it in 4 years time and I've spent far less money, for a more powerful machine, than I would have done buying and upgrading laptops. So long live the desktop PC I say - not that PC vendors will thank me for it! Peripheral manufacturers are doing OK out of me though. :cool:
  • s2ks2k Posts: 7,410
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    The PC market has been saturated for a few years now and is nothing to do with the sales of tablets or Windows 8. The fact of the matter is you can stroll into any old store and buy some heap of garbage laptop for £300 or so and it could still easily last a couple of years and serve most users basic needs. This in turn means that everyone who previously needed a PC now has one and it will last them a lot longer than it would have done a decade or so ago.

    iPads and other tablet/mobile devices are a supplement to a computer, not a replacement.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    s2k wrote: »
    The PC market has been saturated for a few years now and is nothing to do with the sales of tablets or Windows 8. The fact of the matter is you can stroll into any old store and buy some heap of garbage laptop for £300 or so and it could still easily last a couple of years and serve most users basic needs. This in turn means that everyone who previously needed a PC now has one and it will last them a lot longer than it would have done a decade or so ago.

    iPads and other tablet/mobile devices are a supplement to a computer, not a replacement.

    Some people don't even have that money so the only option for them is to get a cheap tablet for around £100

    If all you do is surf the net play angry birds and do a few emails a tablet will handle this job easily
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    s2k wrote: »
    The PC market has been saturated for a few years now and is nothing to do with the sales of tablets or Windows 8. The fact of the matter is you can stroll into any old store and buy some heap of garbage laptop for £300 or so and it could still easily last a couple of years and serve most users basic needs. This in turn means that everyone who previously needed a PC now has one and it will last them a lot longer than it would have done a decade or so ago.

    iPads and other tablet/mobile devices are a supplement to a computer, not a replacement.

    Not really, for years people have been buying PC's just for emailing storing a few pics, surfing and a bit of shopping. They didn't really need that lump of a tower in the corner of the lounge, it was just what was done....those same people now have a myriad of tablets, phones and even TV's that they can do the same tasks on.
    For those people the Tablets are a replacement for and far more convenient, than a Desktop.
  • LION8TIGERLION8TIGER Posts: 8,484
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    Purely speaking from a 60+ point of view I don't care about the rise of laptops and tablets etc. so long as the price of desk tops does not rise for any reason.
    Maybe its an old people thing but the desktop has a place in the room with a comfy chair, a tower that I can open and remove dust from, upgrade anything very easily and sound is good.
    At the moment there is another desktop connected two floors down by ethernet and a laptop, a galaxy something an iPhone5 and and iPad (just moved back in for a while) .

    I love all the new technology but never got on with a track pad , a bit better with a touch screen ..... I'm turning into a silver surfer, where has all the time gone :eek:.
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    Most people just don't need a PC anymore, a laptop and or tablet fit their needs. I still like using a PC and my lad is a serious gamer but most of his friends if not into gaming just use a laptop/tablet/phone.

    Normally I'd have upgraded my PC this year but there is no point. Its based on the i7 so what would I upgrade it to?
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,227
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Some people don't even have that money so the only option for them is to get a cheap tablet for around £100

    If all you do is surf the net play angry birds and do a few emails a tablet will handle this job easily

    The screens on tablets are small compared to a laptop screen.
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