Gartner’s latest projections are making a grim case for traditional PC shipments, which are expected to decline significantly this year.
Consumers, however, haven’t slowed their spending. They’ve just dramatically shifted their focus. The same report published Monday suggest that tablet shipments will increase 67.9 percent in 2013 (reaching 202 million units).
The sharp decline in PC sales recorded in the first quarter was the result in a change in preferences in consumers’ wants and needs, but also an adjustment in the channel to make room for new products hitting the market in the second half of 2013.
Worldwide devices (the combined shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones) are projected to reach 2.35 billion units before the start of 2014, which is a 5.9 percent increase from 2012. The market is being driven by sales in tablets, smartphones, and to a lesser extent, ultramobiles, as PC shipments are on the decline.
Worldwide traditional PC (desk-based and notebook) shipments are forecast to total 305 million units in 2013, a 10.6 percent decline from 2012 , while the PC market including ultramobiles is forecast to decline 7.3 percent in 2013.
“Consumers want anytime-anywhere computing that allows them to consume and create content with ease, but also share and access that content from a different portfolio of products. Mobility is paramount in both mature and emerging markets,” says Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.