Shipments of PCs had the biggest single drop from quarter-to-quarter sales in almost 20 years during the first quarter of 2013, according to a report from IDC, a market research firm. PC shipments during this time period dropped 13.9% worldwide, with 76.3 million different PCs shipped during this time.
IDC's vice president of clients and displays, Bob O'Donnell, had one clear culprit he blamed for the slowing down of the PC market:
"At this point, unfortunately, 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...While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the UI, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices. Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market."
It appears that Windows 8 failed to garner the reaction Microsoft had hoped during the launch of the new system, and the stigma associated with it, combined with the rise of tablets and other forms of mobile computing have lead to the biggest dropoff IDC has seen since they began recording market data on PC's.
Four of the top five PC vendors for the United States (HP, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba) failed to achieve year-over-year growth, with the only exception being Lenovo. It seems that these companies are being edged out of the PC business, as more consumers look to tablets and smartphones as their primary means to use the Internet and conduct business. Tablet shipments are eventually expected to be well ahead of PC figures by the end of the decade.