PC outlook improves, despite drop in shipments 

IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker indicates that worldwide shipments of PCs are expected to experience a slight decline in 2014, falling 3.7 per cent. This represents an improvement over the previously reported 6 per cent drop.

“Programs to reduce PC prices, such as Windows 8.1 with Bing, have helped to improve PC shipments in some segments,” Jay Chou, senior research analyst for Worldwide PC Trackers said in a press release. “Coupled with a shift toward more mobile PCs, the market has seen a quickened pace of innovation and a focus on price points. Nevertheless, the prospects for significant PC growth in the long term remain tenuous, as users increasingly see PCs as only one of several computing devices.”

Despite a slight downward trend in shipments and ongoing competition, a resurgence in consumer interest in mature markets bolstered results for the first half of 2014. The outlook for the remainder of the year is also positive as a result of increased consumer demand.