In 2015, just about every technology machine or device increased in sales and shipping. Just about all of them, except the PC.
The PC ended last year in negative numbers. According to Gartner News, 75.7 million personal desktop computers were sold around the world Q4 2015. That may sound like a lot, but actually, PC shipments fell over 8% that quarter from last year. These stats come from the five largest PC manufacturers: ?Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and Apple. Lenovo did lead the PC market share with ?(20%), and HP placed in a close second (19%). But Apple, the company who placed last in PC shares (7 1/2%) is the only company that saw it’s PC shipments do better than Q4 2014. Another tech research company, IDC, paints an even gloomier picture. They have PC sales falling over nearly 11%. But IDC also said Apple was the only maker to improve Q4 2015 sales. One Gartner analysts stated this was the fifth year the PC has declined in shipments and sales. The Christmas season didn’t help matters much. Neither did the Chinese stock market dip and shaky global markets so far this month. But there is one light that can shine out the PC darkness: Windows 10. It’s gotten good reviews so far. Will it help the PC?
I know what some of you are thinking: By the 2020s, the PC will be about as dead as the VCR. Hardly! Today’s consumers have laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and other devices to ?work and play on. That’s obvious. That’s why the PC has been in decline over the years. But people will need their PCs for decades to come. Offices need somewhat of a ‘home base’ for business. The PC provide that. At home, people want a ‘home base’ for their computer needs. The PC provides that. The TVs are going nowhere. Neither are the PCs. People have more computer tech options to choose from and are using them. That’s why PCs are in the slight decline. And whose to say the PC shipments won’t increase in 2016?