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
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…
Trying to buy a GPU in 2023 almost makes me miss the shortage
Two AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards on a pink surface.

The days of the GPU shortage are long over, but somehow, buying a GPU is harder than ever -- and that sentiment has very little to do with stock levels. It's just that there are no obvious candidates when shopping anymore.

In a generation where no single GPU stands out as the single best graphics card, it's hard to jump on board with the latest from AMD and Nvidia. I don't want to see another GPU shortage, but the state of the graphics card market is far from where it should be.
This generation is all over the place

Read more
HP printers are heavily discounted in Best Buy’s flash sale
The HP - OfficeJet Pro 8034e Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer on a desk with a smartphone.

There’s good news in store if you’re looking to land a new printer at a discount this weekend. Best Buy is having a 48-hour flash sale on HP printers, with several that can compete with the best printers seeing some good prices. HP is almost always one of the best laptop brands, and it’s one of the same when it comes to printers. So if you’re looking for a new home or office printer, read onward on how to save on an HP printer at Best Buy.
HP DeskJet 2755e — $60, was $85

The HP DeskJet 2755e is a good entry-level printer. It’s got you covered if your printing needs are pretty basic, or if you don’t need to print in mass. This is a color InkJet printer, which makes it good for almost all uses. It can also make copies and scan in color, and it has mobile and wireless printing functionality. You can get set up quickly and easily with the HP Smart app that guides you through the setup process, and you can also use this app to print, scan and copy documents from your phone.

Read more
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more