Skip to main content

Steve Jobs’ prophecy could come true, PC sales slump for the fourth year running

HP Z27s with HP Z840 Desktop Workstation
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Maybe Steve Jobs wasn’t so wrong about that whole “post-PC era” thing after all.

For the umpteenth quarter in a row, PC sales around the globe have continued to decline, and the trend doesn’t look to be slowing.

According to a recently released report from the International Data Corporation, annual sales of personal computers are estimated to slump again, despite the end of Windows XP support driving a slight spike in purchases at the tail end of 2014.

“Worldwide PC shipments are expected to fall by -6.2% in 2015,” read the IDC’s report. “This will be the fourth consecutive year of declining volume as the PC market continues to struggle with competition from tablets and smartphones and generally low demand.”

It’s not all doom and gloom however, as IDC analysts expect the upcoming release of the new Windows 10 operating system to momentarily spur a few more consumers to upgrade from their old clunkers to a machine that might be able to more effectively handle the fresh OS.

“Windows 10 should be a significant contributor to the PC market – providing an upgrade path from Windows 7 for commercial users and a range of features boosting convenience and integrating the user experience across platforms.”

The IDC believes this minor jump will only be temporary as we move into the holiday season, however, as consumers will continue to prioritize mobile devices – namely phones, tablets, and smartwatches like the Apple Watch – over standard desktops or laptops brandishing the Windows logo.

It’s hard to say if the PC market will ever truly recover from the impact of the mobile revolution, but here’s to hoping that 2016 is the year that personal computing finally makes its comeback.

Chris Stobing
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Self-proclaimed geek and nerd extraordinaire, Chris Stobing is a writer and blogger from the heart of Silicon Valley. Raised…
How to build your own GPT chatbot without coding
Infinix Zero 30 5G Android phone in gold color with ChatGPT virtual assistant.

For $20 per month, a ChatGPT Plus subscription unlocks far more than just access to GPT-4. With a little know-how, you’ll actually be able to use some of OpenAI’s more advanced features to build a custom GPT chatbot all your own. We did it ourselves, and the results were simply astounding! And while this may sound like an intimidating task to undertake, you won’t even need to know any coding.

Read more
How to change your MAC address on Windows and Mac
The TP-Link Archer AXE7800 tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router in a room.

Each and every web-connected component in your household has a MAC address. One can think of these 12-digit identifiers as digital name tags that computers, smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs use to say “present” on our home Wi-Fi networks. MAC addresses are also integral in maintaining a safe and reliable gateway to the internet.

Read more
How to change where screenshots are saved on a Mac
how to change where screenshots are saved on a mac apple screenshot

With the right keyboard shortcuts, taking a screenshot on a Mac is very straightforward -- although they don't always save to the right location. Fortunately, there are a number of locations you can choose from and selecting from them is as quick and easy as taking a screenshot in the first place.

Here's how to choose where screenshots are savedon a Mac.

Read more