Windows 8 has put the world's PC market to sleep

[Indianatone]

'Double-digit shipment fall 'both surprising and worrisome'

The global PC market is dwindling, and Windows 8 could be to blame, according to the beancounters at IDC.

The analyst firm released its rundown of global PC shipments on Tuesday, and the year-on-year double digit decline blows a cold wind for traditional PC makers like Dell and HP, and OS-slinger Microsoft.

Read more at The Register
Windows 8 has put the world's PC market to sleep - IDC ? The Register

 

[Dallas 7]

If M$ decided to offer an optional desktop interface for W8, I'm betting they'd start seeing an immediate improvement in sales.
The only problem is, they'd have to admit they were wrong about W8.

 

[Phone Man]

The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.

That is quote from the IDC press release. So its Windows 8 fault and it wasn't even released yet. If Windows 8 is so bad why didn't the consumer buy a PC with Windows 7 as they were the prime system during most of this time frame.
Even today Best Buy has more Window 7 units then Windows 8.



Jim

 

[Wenda]

The big thing here is that the market for 'traditional' desktops and, to a lesser extent laptops
is not dead, and nor is it dying. Nor will it in the foreseeable future.

What has happened, though, is that it has stabilised. Sales are no longer driven so much by
newcomers to the computing scene, as many whose usage patterns never really needed a
PC in the first place now have the choice of several varieties of tablet/smart-phone which
suit their needs far better. They're choosing these over the (for them) over-kill of a desktop
or laptop. Many newcomers, however, will still need/want a desktop/laptop and so will still
buy.

Secondly, the technology is mature, and performance and reliability are not the issue they
once were. Those who already have a desktop/laptop aren't driven to upgrade their machines
as often as was once the case. These people will still buy desktops/laptops, but they are not
prepared to (or need to) buy a new machine every six months to stay 'current'. They'll buy
when their current machine expires, or on a significant technological improvement (and no,
touch isn't it), but they will be buying. They may use a tablet as an accessory to their desk-
top/laptop, but not usually as a replacement for it.

Thirdly, there's those who will still need the power simply to do what they need to do. Gamers
(both creators and players), those with high-end CAD or video-processing tasks (for example)
and businesses will still be buying. With a blend of these and BYOD, maybe not as many, though.

My point is, the desktop/laptop format is not going anywhere as it's essential for some tasks
and preferable for many more, over a tab/hybrid. The different formats (desktop/laptop, hybrid,
tablet, smart-phone)will end up complementing each-other, rather than one killing all of the
others off. People will buy the one (or ones) that suit their needs.

As for Windows 8, yes people are staying away in droves, it seems. But the same applies for
OSes as I explained in point #2 above. If you aren't an enthusiast/hobbyist you're not as likely
to race out and upgrade your OS just for the fun of it. You'll wait until you need to, for what-
ever reason, or you'll simply wait until you replace your machine and get the new OS then. The
more so since Windows 7 was such a roaring success that people aren't actually clamouring for
a new OS, and the pasting that Windows 8 has been copping in the tech press and on the
techie/enthusiast forums.


Yes, I know it's a long post, but there was too much to fit into a one or two line post. Sorry.

Wenda.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Upgrades

The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.

That is quote from the IDC press release. So its Windows 8 fault and it wasn't even released yet. If Windows 8 is so bad why didn't the consumer buy a PC with Windows 7 as they were the prime system during most of this time frame.
Even today Best Buy has more Window 7 units then Windows 8.

People have bought huge numbers of PCs since 2009.

Any PC that could actually run Vista, could be upgraded to W7 and it would perform better!
That probably accounts for the slow down in new PC sales.

​

Desktop PCs less popular than ever

"U.S. desktop PC shipments are down 40% in the past decade ..."
Notice how the graph doesn't support this statement.

PC shipments are actually up 100%+ over the decade.
2002: 14.2M units
2012: 30.6M units

 

[Dallas 7]

The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.

That is quote from the IDC press release. So its Windows 8 fault and it wasn't even released yet. If Windows 8 is so bad why didn't the consumer buy a PC with Windows 7 as they were the prime system during most of this time frame.
Jim

Jim the article also stated
"It seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,"
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/10/pc_market_win8_bloodbath/

So I don't think they were blaming 8 for Pre-W8 slow sales, they just claimed 8 didn't provide any boost when it came out, and may have even "slowed the market".

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
This topic has also been dealt with "ad nauseam". It's nothing to do with W8 / W7 / any other OS.

A lot have posted on W8 Forum about this too.
Read my post (Nr 3 on page 2 on the link shown below).

Windows 8 is depressing PC sales in record numbers - Page 2

Cheers
jimbo

 

[PaulGo]

Windows 8 is putting a notebook/smartphone OS on a desktop computer. Most potential customers of desktops recognize this and reject it. The question is why do I need to by a desktop if it only replicates a smartphone? Customers who buy a desktop want an OS that is designed for the desktop. Microsoft has spent many year in designing and refining a desktop OS and now they have abandoned it.

 

[mart4494]

Windows 8 is putting a notebook/smartphone OS on a desktop computer. Most potential customers of desktops recognize this and reject it. The question is why do I need to by a desktop if it only replicates a smartphone? Customers who buy a desktop want an OS that is designed for the desktop. Microsoft has spent many year in designing and refining a desktop OS and now they have abandoned it.

Who knows, only MS maybe and they are reading a different script. But it was mooted (what seems like ages ago) that W8 would either fly with the eagles or drop like a stone. There wouldn't be a halfway house.

@Jimbo - agree, this has been discussed over and over and going round in circles. MS blame the OEM's, the OEM's blame MS, W8 users blame others for not understanding it, etc, etc. Time to call it a day me thinks.

 

[Dallas 7]

Windows 8 is putting a notebook/smartphone OS on a desktop computer. Most potential customers of desktops recognize this and reject it. The question is why do I need to by a desktop if it only replicates a smartphone? Customers who buy a desktop want an OS that is designed for the desktop. Microsoft has spent many year in designing and refining a desktop OS and now they have abandoned it.

Short and sweet and directly to the point.

 

[SIW2]

It is fascinating.

MS have put something out that is not liked by desktop users on the whole and is not selling well to them.

It isn't selling well on the things it was really meant for either ( tablets/phones).

It will be interesting to see where they go from here.

Anybody who says the product offering has nothing to do with sales is wildly misguided.