According to research firm, Gartner, PC shipments has fallen 6 shipments in a row, down 8.6% September one year ago. Mikako Kitagawa, principle analyst in Gartner, believes that this could be due to the growing popularity and affordability of tablets.

“A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets.”

Although PC’s PoD includes its affordability and compatibility, like the statement made by Kitagawa, tablets also provide these characteristics as well as the fact that they’re even more convenient than PC’s. When faced with the decision between tablets and PC’s, by comparing the advantages each device provides, consumers will be more attracted by the tablets, hence causing the decline of PC’s.

I also believe that the growing competition in the technology industry is also causing the decline of demand for PC’s. Products like the MacBook Air, Macbook Pro, iMac, iPad from Apple are also drawing the attention of consumers away from PC’s. Though expensive, Apple PoD (quality, branding, unique software, user-friendly) are in sharp contrast to PC’s, leading to consumers trading in their PC’s for Apple products.

Citation:

n.p. Global PC Shipments Drop to a Five-Year Low. BBC News. Web 9 October 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24470639