Has the global computer crash ceded?
According to market research group IDC, for the most part, yes.
The firm has projected that PC sales, which has seen a global slowdown amounting to tens of millions of units in decline yearly since 2011, is finally stabilizing.
PC sales are projected to reach 260.8 million in 2016, still a significant dip of 15 million units since last year. However, moving forward, IDC projects a drop of less than 3 million units by 2017, and only another 3.6 million units by the time we reach 2020.
In comparison, the biggest drop in sales between 2012 and 2013 saw 34.2 million fewer units shipped.
While there are no signs of growth, a Windows 10-related refresh, plus easing competition from tablets, phablets and hybrid devices will buoy sales in the near future.
“Despite the constraints on overall growth, ultraslim and convertible notebooks are expected to grow substantially by 2020, with convertibles more than doubling and ultraslim increasing by over 70 per cent while all-in-one desktop volume will increase by more than a third over the same time,” IDC said in its report. “In addition, volume of notebooks with screens smaller than 14 inches will continue to grow, as will lower-priced PCs. The largest PC vendors are still well positioned to consolidate share – and can grow if they leverage these product trends.”
Check out the infographic provided by Statista.