It’s difficult to make an argument for the general health and vitality of the PC industry when you start seeing numbers like these.
Based on the latest quarterly estimates from IDC, Q4 PC shipments fell to 17.75 million. That number was 18.6 million during Q4 of 2011.
A negative growth rate of 4.5 percent is not giving analysts and industry watchers much hope for PC shipments in 2013.
“Although the third quarter was focused on the clearing of Windows 7 inventory, preliminary research indicates the clearance did not significantly boost the uptake of Windows 8 systems in Q4,” says Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.
“Lost in the shuffle to promote a touch-centric PC,” Chou suspects, “vendors have not forcefully stressed other features that promote a more secure, reliable and efficient user experience. As Windows 8 matures, and other corresponding variables such as Ultrabook pricing continue to drop, hopefully the PC market can see a reset in both messaging and demand in 2013.”
