The traditional personal computers shipped fell 2.7 per cent to 67.1 million in quarter four of last year compared to a year earlier, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker.
- On an annual basis, the market has experienced unprecedented consecutive declines, marking a stark departure from historical trends tracked since 1995.
- In 2022, shipment volume plummeted 16.5 per cent compared to the previous year, and preliminary results suggest an additional 13.9 per cent contraction in 2023 compared to 2022.
- This downturn, unparalleled in the industry’s recorded history, reflects the aftermath of the significant surge in PC purchases driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The silver lining in all of this is that the market contractions appear to have bottomed out and growth is expected in 2024.
“Across the major technology categories, the PC market has arguably been the biggest roller coaster in terms of ups and downs over the past four years,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. “While AI has clearly captured everyone’s attention, it shouldn’t be overlooked that 2024 is expected to be a strong year for commercial PC refresh, and the advancements around gaming PCs continues to drive market excitement.”
The top companies in the industry remain largely unchanged, and just like the overall market, they too are experiencing unusual quarterly growth swings. The brands that are positioned better within the commercial segment are likely to have more confidence heading into 2024, but technological advances should create opportunities for both commercial and consumer vendors.
