By Dawn Kawamoto, 21 March 2007 08:35
NEWS
As worldwide desktop shipments continue to slow, laptops are expected to represent more than half of all client PCs by 2011, according to an IDC report.
PC shipments worldwide rose only 7.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, compared with a 15 per cent growth rate for the same period last year. IDC attributes the declining growth to corporate buyers purchasing fewer desktops, especially in the more mature markets.
Desktop shipments grew an anaemic two per cent to 138.3 million in 2006, while portables - a category that doesn't include handhelds - jumped 26.3 per cent to 82.4 million, according to the report.
Meanwhile, in the US retail sales of laptops surpassed desktops in 2005.
Doug Bell, IDC personal computing program analyst, said in a statement: "In the United States, portable PC shipments will maintain double-digit growth through 2010 but this shift to mobility will not be enough to offset reduced demand for desktops."
IDC, however, notes that the release of Microsoft's Windows Vista is likely to lead to a temporary boost in desktop shipments later this year and into early next year but the declining growth-rate is expected to re-emerge shortly afterward.
Loren Loverde, director of IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, said in a statement: "While more replacements and Vista adoption may provide a brief respite for desktops in 2008, essentially all desktop growth will occur in emerging regions."
Dawn Kawamoto writes for CNET News.com
Comments
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1. Chris
Why shouldn't Laptops be more popular - they're cheaper!
Yes it's shocking - but also true. Looking at the current systems on Dell Business gives us the following comparisons for the cheapest Dual Core Laptop and Desktop:
Laptop ........................... Desktop
Inspiron 6400 ..................Dimension C521
Pentium T2060-1.6GHz.....Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+
1024MB 533MHz DDR2 .....1024MB 533MHz DDR2
120GB HDD .....................250GB HDD
8x DVD-RW ......................16x DVD-RW
Integ Intel MA 950 Gfx ......256MB Radeon X1300
15.4" TFT Widescreen ........19" Std TFT
XP Pro (Vista Opt)...............XP Pro (Vista Opt)
from (Excl VAT & Del)
£329 .................................£369
Okay the Desktop has twice the hard disc and a dedicated graphics card - but these aren't things you tend to use on the most computers I buy - basic business machines. The processor's faster which would be nice - but the T2060's no slouch.
And the laptop's £40 cheaper ! ! ! ! (and portable)
So who wouldn't go for the cheaper, mobile option as a basic setup (which is the market where the majority of PCs are sold)?
2. Jeremy Wickins
This story keeps coming out, and the time at which the break-even point is going to be reached just keeps getting further away!
I can't see the laptop ever being significantly more popular than the desktop for at least two reasons:
1. Most people have both a laptop AND a desktop. There are few people who relay on a fragile, easily stolen, laptop as the only form of computing.
2. A laptop is not going to meet the (allegedly) growing market for home entertainment. At least in the short term, people are going to keep buying machines that will do all the multi-media stuff that is being touted, which in turn leads back to point one.
The figures are likely to be skewed anyway - the number of desktops cannot include self-builds, which is a small but significant percentage of the market. There is no way I know of to build a laptop from scratch, though I would if I could!