Global PC shipments suffered worst decline in 2013

IDC's Worldwide PC Trackers Vice President Loren Loverde said total shipments have now declined for seven consecutive quarters and even the holiday shopping season was unable to inspire a turn in consumer spending.

“Although US growth slipped a little in fourth quarter, other regions all improved, reinforcing our view that growth rates will continue to improve gradually during 2014 despite remaining in negative territory,” Loverde added.

On PC shipments in 2013, Gartner said: “This is the worst decline in PC market history, equal to the shipment level in 2009.”

Gartner Principal Analyst Mikako Kitagawa said although PC shipments continued to decline in the worldwide market in the fourth quarter, the firm believes markets like the US have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed base slows.

“We think that US PC market has bottomed out. A variety of new form factors, such as hybrid notebooks, drew holiday shoppers' attention, but the market size was very small at the time. Lowering the price point of thin and light products started encouraging the PC replacement and potentially some PC growth in 2014,” Kitagawa added.