The PC industry is at a historical low, and the decline does not seem to slow down anytime soon. Apple is in an even worse situation than most PC manufacturers, as the company's revenue from selling computer shows.
The IDC and Gartner have issued reports that indicate that the PC market has been shrinking for eight uninterrupted quarters.
Specifically, enterprise and consumers bought about 68 million PCs during the Q3 2016. In comparison with last year's numbers, that represents a 3.9 percent drop, according to the IDC. If you ask Gartner, things are even bleaker, as the firm claims that the drop is actually 5.7 percent.
Apple is in an extra tight spot, as its computer sales are toppling even faster than the sector average.
Gartner reports that Apple currently owns only 7.2 percent of market share, after it saw its shipments lose 13.4 percent. This places Apple in second to worse place, after Acer, which lost 14.1 percent of shipments and now commands only 6.7 percent of overall market share.
Rumors are rampant about Apple preparing a great upgrade for its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops this October. This makes fans of the brand hold on to their wallets, and most hope that Apple soon roll out new laptops to put their money in.
The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines were last upgraded during the spring of 2015.
Keep in mind that the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air used to be on the top of sales in former years, but the trend seems to have reversed.
Another reason why Apple no longer leads the pack in PC sales might be that the latest back-to-school season was bleak for PCs overall. Parents don't seem to be as motivated to invest in new rigs for their children, as older models handle school-oriented tasks just as well.
The pressure from the younglings is lower than in previous years as well, as their focus goes mainly to smartphones and tablets.
Gartner mentions that the general tendency is for people to upgrade their laptops more slowly than before, as the mobile devices are gaining more processing power and can handle more complex features.
This means that Apple is in dire need to push out its new MacBooks if it wants to reclaim some market share.
The broader perspective shows that PC upgrades are slowing down, with a majority of users getting all they want from touch screen devices. The MacBook manufacturer has to take that into account when it tweaks its upcoming PC building strategy.
