Boring PCs Slow PC Industry, Says Gartner
Gartner has, once more, revised the shipment forecast for PCs this year.
The market research firm now believes that the PC market will only grow by 9.3% to 385 million units instead of the previously forecasted 10.5%.
By now we are used to this kind of news, as it is generally believed that it is the tablet - mainly the iPad - that is killing PC market growth. However, Gartner is taking a slightly different spin this time and says that there is just no consumer interest in mini notebooks anymore. Gartner says that the tablets have some impact, but the analysts do not believe that not many consumers will replace their notebook with a tablet. The much bigger problem is that there are no compelling reasons for replacing PCs that are generally seen as good enough.
The problem may be the commoditization of the PC and its hardware and the declining importance of the processor. Translation: The PC is just too boring today and new PCs have virtually no value over older computers. Gartner believes that there is still economic uncertainty, which additionally slows sales and that there is a need for business sales to drive growth. As business upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, Gartner believes that the business market has substantial opportunity for growth.
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May Ipad die die and die.
I'm still using my dell inspiron 8600 laptop with a 1.4Ghz pentium m. Good enough for web browsing in front of the tv and the 1920x1200 screen you just don't find much on laptops anymore. good enough for me.
I do not think the 'mobile' market reflects the entire 'PC' market as a whole, despite the increased revenue raised from mobile market share. An overall 9.3% growth still seems a significant gain despite the economic climate and increased popularity of tablet devices.
The desktop market PC is still capable and in some cases still the only choice, thus reflecting the great advances in both hardware as well as software, engineering. It is also spring-boarding new technologies, such as APU processing that will trickle down to the mobile markets, not up. The desktop is still evolving, shrinking, broadening it's appeal. It's still offering a niche.
In order to compete against the desktop market do you not have to have a mobile device that is as equally powerful and open? I haven't seen that to date.
However if the only means by which the desktop market can sustain itself is by raising most of its revenue through trendy mobile technology, I still think it's going to be a heck of a long time before we see it thrown on the scrap-heap.
Well smart phones and crappy tablets are not ruining my PC experience. Im just waiting for AMD's new line of 8core FX processors and AM3+ baords to appear then it's time for an upgrade on my gaming rig.