PC sales show longest duration of decline in historyJuly 11, 2013 - 08:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Global personal computer (PC) sales have fallen for the fifth quarter in a row, making it the "longest duration of decline" in history, according to BBC News. Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76 million units in the second quarter, a 10.9% drop from a year earlier, according to research firm Gartner. PC sales have been hurt in recent years by the growing popularity of tablets. Gartner said the introduction of low-cost tablets had further hurt PC sales, especially in emerging economies. "In emerging markets, inexpensive tablets have become the first computing device for many people, who at best are deferring the purchase of a PC," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said in a statement. Separate data released by research firm IDC also showed an 11.4% decline in global PC shipments during the period, from a year earlier. IDC, which uses a slightly different method to calculate the data, said that shipments totaled 75.6 million units in the second quarter. However, it said that the numbers were better than it had expected and were likely to improve in the coming months. "With second quarter growth so close to forecast, we are still looking for some improvement in growth during the second half of the year," said Jay Chou, a senior analyst at IDC Worldwide PC Tracker. But he warned that the sector was facing risks and much work needed to be done to turn around things. "Slower growth in Europe and China reflect the risks, while the improved U.S. outlook reflects potential improvement. Still, the weakness in emerging markets is a threat to a core long-term growth area," Mr Chou said. "In addition, while efforts by the PC ecosystem to bring down price points and embrace touch computing should make PCs more attractive, a lot still needs to be done in launching attractive products and addressing competition from devices like tablets." Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |