Mac versus PC: it's one of the longest, if not actually the longest, lasting duels in tech. In this new world of mobile computing, however, it doesn't matter. They're both losers.
Nonetheless, between the two, Windows-based PCs are coming out as the biggest losers. Microsoft, even after their event this week where it showed off some of the most drool-worthy hardware today in the industry, is partly to blame. Surprisingly, it may not be the hardware but the software that could actually be the root of the PC problem.
"Worldwide PC shipments totaled 73.7 million units in the third quarter of 2015, a 7.7 percent decline from the third quarter of 2014," research firm Gartner Inc. reports.
One reason for this, analysts say, is that "the global PC market has experienced price increases of around 10 percent throughout the year, due to the sharp appreciation of the U.S. dollar against local currencies."
Moreover, International Data Corporation's (IDC) research manager for its Worldwide PC Tracker, Jay Chou, adds that Microsoft's initiative of giving away Windows 10 for free is another reason for the PC industry's current downward slump. People are more than happy and willing to download a free upgrade to Windows 10 than have to shell out cash to buy a new device with exactly the same software.
Gartner echoes the same sentiments.
"The focus of the Windows launch in the quarter was to upgrade to Windows 10 on existing PCs, rather than ship on new PCs. The Windows 10 rollout will ramp up in 4Q15 holiday sales," the firm states.
For the third quarter this year, Lenovo was at the forefront of sales, with 14,937 units sold globally, followed by HP and Dell, selling 13,905 and 10,120 units sold respectively.
All is not lost as both Gartner and IDC expect the market to tick upward.
"The improved PC experience across user segments should drive longer-term demand for new PC hardware that is expected help stabilize the market in 2016 and beyond," Chou foresees.
With Intel's hot new Skylake processors powering Microsoft's own innovative hardware lineup of Surface Pro and Surface Book models, the PC market may just heat up quite a bit this coming holiday season.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
