Skip to main content

Bad day to be Windows 8: New OS blamed for 14% drop in Q1 PC sales

Windows 8 Sales
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Thud. That’s the sound of PC sales dropping 13.9 percent in the first quarter of this year (according to a new report by the International Data Corp analyst group). How bad is that drop? PC sales have been declining year over year, so sales of desktops and laptops were expected to drop by 7.7 percent. Instead, the drop was twice that. Even worse, that’s the single biggest drop in sales since IDC first started tracking quarterly PC shipments way back in 1994. While there are numerous factors contributing to the drop in sales, the most recent reason is the chilly reception consumers have given Windows 8. 

According to IDC, the massive user interface changes to Windows 8 have worsened the PC sale slowdown. Quoted on CNET, analyst Bob O’Donnell said, “While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the [user interface], removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices.”

Even seasoned PC users have been stymied by the new interface in Windows 8. While it’s an operating system that begs to be touched, the most affordable PCs don’t include a touchscreen, which makes navigating through the Metro interface a frustrating experience. Plus, touchscreen PCs are still pricey, especially when compared to less expensive tablets that have a smaller learning curve.

PC makers are certainly feeling the hit, too. HP, the leading PC maker, saw its U.S. shipments drop by 23 percent in the first quarter, according to IDC. Acer was down 31 percent for the same time period. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The second biggest PC maker, Lenovo, saw its new shipment jump 13 percent last quarter, and Samsung and ASUS also posted gains. Of course, all three of these companies are diversifying their offerings with tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices. 

It’s strange to think that if Microsoft doesn’t push a consumer turnaround with Windows 8 and the forthcoming update, rumored to be called Windows 8.1 or Windows Blue, we may soon see the end of the traditional PC.

What do you think? Will desktop and laptop PCs be as dated as a typewriter in five years?

Meghan McDonough
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Meghan J. McDonough is a Chicago-based purveyor of consumer technology and music. She previously wrote for LAPTOP Magazine…
All the ways Intel Macs are still better than Apple Silicon Macs
cheap macbook deals

MacBooks are pretty amazing these days. Thanks to the efficiency of Apple Silicon, you get all-day battery life, as well as the ability to edit videos when unplugged from power. The new MacBook Air with the M3 chip is even good enough for gaming.

All of that is in contrast to the Intel Macs of the past.

Read more
This bundle deal saves you $1,000 on an Alienware PC and monitor
An Alienware Aurora R15 gaming desktop alongside a gaming monitor on a desk.

You don't have to go through gaming PC deals and monitor deals yourself because there are bundles like this one from Dell -- the Alienware Aurora R15 gaming desktop and the Alienware 34-inch curved QD-OLED gaming monitor for a package price of $2,900, which is $1,000 less the original price of $3,900. It's still not cheap, but you'll be getting a top-of-the-line gaming rig with just one purchase. You'll have to hurry with the transaction though, as we're not sure if the bundle will still cost cheaper than usual by tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Alienware Aurora R15 gaming PC and 34-inch curved QD-OLED gaming monitor
It's the Alienware Aurora R16 that sits on top of our list of the best gaming PCs, but its predecessor, the Alienware Aurora R15, remains a worthwhile purchase because of the power that it packs. It's equipped with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor, AMD Radeon RX 7900 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM that's the sweet spot for high-end gamers, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. These specifications make it more than enough to run the best PC games without any issues. The gaming desktop also features a 1TB SSD for ample storage space, and it comes with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.

Read more
Here’s proof that Snapdragon X Elite laptops can play hit games without issue
A laptop and a camera on a table with a Qualcomm logo on the screen.

Windows laptops with Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chip are set to come this summer, but we're already getting a preview of how good the devices will be for gaming. A recent video surfaced online showing how one of the most popular PC games, Baldur's Gate 3, can run on a Qualcomm reference laptop with the chip -- and it does look to be pretty impressive.

As shared by Devin Arthur on X, Qualcomm ran this game on a sample laptop at 1080p resolution. The demo was done in a public setting, and it's not clear what else was changed beyond that, but it does appear stable, with little to no lag.

Read more