PC Outlooks Remains Grim Despite Tablet Slowdown

Despite a slowdown of tablet sales, IDC expects both desktop and laptop PC shipments to continue their decline in 2014. While the PC industry saw a slight uptick in mature markets, a severe slump in emerging markets dragged the overall market into the negative zone. IDC doesn't expect any growth from the industry until 2018, as more and more devices compete for the disposable income of consumers.

Meanwhile tablet shipments are expected to see steady but timid growth over the next few years after worldwide shipment growth is forecast to decelerate from 52.5% in 2013 to just 7.2% this year. Besides rising penetration, longer-than-expected lifecycles are one of the factors that contributed to the slowdown of tablet sales. It turns out that, much to the dismay of tablet vendors, consumers hold on to their tablets much longer than they do to their smartphones, which are typically replaced every two years.