Slashdot Mirror
PC Sales Slump Over Economic Crisis
nandemoari writes "The damage isn't just limited to the United States. Shipments of PCs in Europe, the Mid-East, and Africa dipped to records posted around the turn of the century. It was even worse in Asia, which according to Gartner, posted its worst growth rate ever — just 1.8 per cent.
Within the industry, desktops took the hardest hit, as was expected. Sales of non-portable computers were down about 16 per cent as consumers opted instead for the rising 'netbook' and similar hybrids. That fact alone is troubling for PC makers, given that $300-$500 netbooks offer a far lower profit margin than more expensive and more powerful laptops and desktops."
People are probably just buying laptops. You can buy a portable, yet powerful, computer for $400. A lot of people at my workplace are using laptops instead of desktops. It could also just be that people have their computers already and are being content with them. You would expect the numbers to dwindle as people buy less. If I already have a desktop, why do I need another?
Apple is getting hammered, actually. Now, Apple has the advantage in that they are rather more likely to hold onto the most valuable customers, who are worth considerably more per unit sold; but their volume numbers are suffering. Cheap and cheerful seems to be in at the moment. I suspect that this is part economy, part maturation of PC hardware.