Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Report: PC shipments to dip 5% in 2015, prices expected to rise, tablet growth has slowed

By

report pc shipments to dip 5 in 2015 prices expected rise tablet growth has slowed windows
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The state of PC shipments is more downbeat than originally expected, but there are positive long-term signs, according to a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). Two notable tidbits in the report are that tablet purchases have slowed and that average prices of PCs in the near term will rise.

Worldwide PC (desktop and portable) shipments will decline by 4.9 percent in 2015, according to the market intelligence firm. This reflects a more pessimistic outlook than IDC’s original forecast of a 3.3 percent decline.

Recommended Videos

A total of 293.1 million PCs are expected to ship in 2015 – 125.5 million desktop PCs and 167.5 million portable PCs. In 2019, total worldwide PC shipments are expected to drop to 291.4 million. While worldwide desktop PC shipments are expected to decline from now until 2019, portable PC shipments are expected to rise 1.7 percent to 170.4 million. This is driven by emerging markets, where portable PC shipments are expected to grow 5.8 percent from now until 2019.

IDC PC shipments 2015-2019
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of sales, the worldwide PC market hit $201 billion in 2014. This figure is expected to drop 6.9 percent this year, and by 2019 the PC market will shrink to $175 billion, according to IDC.

The report notes that PC demand was inflated in Q4 2014, thanks to inventory buildup of “Windows 8.1 + Bing” systems ahead of the pullback of Microsoft subsidies in early 2015. This elimination of Bing subsidies along with the strong U.S. dollar and the shift toward slim, convertible and touch-based systems will push up average prices in the near term, according to IDC.

“Fortunately for PC makers, tablet growth has slowed,” said Jay Chou, senior research analyst for worldwide PC trackers at IDC. “The PC ecosystem has also begun to see some fruits from efforts to narrow the divide between the PC and mobile devices in terms of both user experience and price points. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done as advances in both hardware and software are expected to benefit an ever wider spectrum of form factors, such as 2-in-1 devices that will further siphon volume from notebooks.”

IDC also expects Windows 10 to have a positive reception, which will improve the experience for users of traditional mouse-and-keyboard PC systems. This will help slow the shift toward touch-based devices, according to the firm.

This outlook is more melancholy than Gartner’s forecast last summer, which declared that 2015 would be a bounce-back year for PC shipments. Strategy Analytics had a rosy outlook for global PC sales in 2015, forecasting a 5 percent increase last fall.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jason Hahn
Jason Hahn
Contributor
Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…
Best HP laptop deals: Get a 17-inch workhorse for $370 and more
An open HP Spectre x360 16 sits on a table, angled so that the screen and keyboard can be seen.

HP is one of the best laptop brands on the market, and if you're thinking of picking up a new laptop, then you may want to consider one of its many varieties of laptops. Not only that, but HP usually has some form of deal going on each of its sub-brans, so whether you're looking for an HP Omen gaming laptop or a Spectre X360 2-in-1 convertible, you'll likely find a good deal on it. Of course, it can be hard to navigate the dozens of different types of laptops HP has, which is why we've gone out and collected some of our favorite deals to help save you the trouble. That said, if you can't find quite what you're looking for below, be sure to check out these other great laptop deals and gaming laptop deals as well.
HP Laptop 15z -- $250, was $500

If you need a budget laptop for basic tasks, you can't go wrong with the HP Laptop 15z. With its AMD Athlon Silver 7120U processor, AMD Radeon Graphics, and 8GB of RAM, it's going to be a dependable device for doing online research and working with productivity apps. The laptop features a 128GB SSD with Windows 11 Home pre-loaded, and a relatively large 15.6-inch HD screen for its low price.

Read more
Some Intel CPUs are about to take a big performance hit, report says
Intel's 14900K CPU socketed in a motherboard.

High-end Intel CPUs are about to lose some significant performance, according to a new report from BenchLife (via VideoCardz). The outlet claims Intel has sent guidance to motherboard partners to implement the Intel Default Settings on Z790 motherboards, following a wave of reports of instability on recent high-end Intel CPUs.

According to the report, these default settings will enforce a PL2 of 188 watts. Intel maintains power limits (PL) for its processors. PL1 is the base power, or the power that the processor can sustain for long periods of time. PL2 is the maximum boost power, which the processor can hit for brief spurts when under a heavy load.

Read more
Best Buy laptop deals: Cheap laptops starting at $159
Apple M1 MacBook Air open on a desk with plants in the background.

If you’re looking for an affordable laptop, Best Buy is a great outlet to turn to. It carries some of the best laptops on the market, and often you’ll find many of the best laptop deals taking place at Best Buy. And while it’s a great place to land some savings on almost any device, including tablet deals, headphone deals, and smartwatch deals, the Best Buy laptop deals you can shop right now are worth taking a look at. Among them you’ll find many quality laptop options at some of the best prices we’ve seen, so read onward for more details. And if Best Buy doesn’t have what you’re looking for, you can check out some of the best Amazon deals and best Walmart deals, where you’ll also find a discounted laptop or two.
HP 14-inch laptop — $159, was $180

The HP 14-inch laptop is a fast and fun computing device. It's a great option for anyone searching the best laptops for high school students or the best laptops for college. It has an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of system RAM that combine to push through homework assignments, work presentations, and hours upon hours of binge watching. The 14-inch screen sports HD resolution and makes this HP laptop a great way to enjoy movies, photos, and other digital content. The HP 14-inch laptop is able to reach up to 14 hours of battery life on a single charge, making it a great all-day option for people who like to do their work on the go.

Read more