In this Business English News lesson: Learn Business English vocabulary and collocations for describing trends and technology in this Business English News lesson on the recent decline in PC sales.
It wasn’t long ago that many of us could count on a new computer every three years or so. With both hardware and software upgrades coming in leaps and bounds, consumers and businesses sought to replace obsolete machines for shiny new boxes. However, as Forbes explains, things have changed dramatically:
PC shipments are down 14% year-over-year despite the launch of Windows 8. While Microsoft and its fans might not want to admit it yet, Windows 8 is a flop. The failure to generate new sales is bad; the acceleration of the declining trend in PC shipments is downright awful.
Users have been less than impressed with the new operating system, and as CNET reports, Microsoft may need to rethink its approach if it hopes to reinvigorate sales:
While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touchscreen capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the user interface, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made Windows PCs a less attractive alternative.
The disappointing results shocked many industry insiders, as a major OS release usually leads to higher sales. As Techrepublic suggests, it could be that users are simply satisfied with what they already have:
In years past, an OS upgrade prompted brisk PC sales as consumers and enterprises alike timed their hardware updates to Redmond’s latest and greatest. Just as recent hardware has been “good enough” for many users, Windows 7 is hitting the same mark on the OS front.
As the Slate noted, computers have improved to the point that they’re simply “too good”, and a strategic shift by Microsoft in recent years means that you no longer need to buy a new machine in order to take advantage of each new operating system:
In the past, you had to replace your computer every few years or else it would become hopelessly bogged down trying to deal with the latest desktop applications and operating systems. The result is that PCs have become more durable than smartphones and tablets, which are still puny enough in their powers that you have to upgrade them regularly.
With the tablet market on its way to becoming a $64B industry, consumers are buying new computers less frequently. From CNN:
Even if they won’t render the PC obsolete, the rise of tablets and smartphones have certainly made them less necessary in our day-to-day lives. They are no longer just an accessory to the PC. In many cases, they’re a functional alternative.
For many, computers are not just laptops and desktops, but also the devices in their pockets. The ability to stay connected-on-the-go has an appeal that many find difficult to resist, as Cloudtweak reports:
The so-called “death of the PC” is based on the increasing popularity and usefulness of mobile devices and cloud computing. It is sexy and fun to have all of your data at your fingertips, and an amazing amount of work can be done with a smartphone and a Wi-Fi hub or any other link to the Internet.
Though we won’t see business users dumping their laptops any time soon, the addition of tablets and smartphones could cause laptops to fall by the wayside. The Huffington Post had this to say:
The severity of the decline in the market is further evidence that the “post-PC era” heralded several years ago by Steve Jobs, was not an empty slogan. Jobs predicted that PCs would endure, but that smartphones and tablets would become the devices people favored for most of their computing needs.
Over the past few years, we have seen a fundamental shift in the tech sector. More people are flocking to mobile technologies. As the Examiner concludes, while it may seem as though mobile is winning, it may be premature to say that PCs are going to die out completely:
While the desktop computer will never go away completely in the professional space, we may see it vanish from the consumer stage. Hopefully companies like Microsoft and Apple can find ways to reinvent the PC, so it can continue to be a player in the homes of consumers around the world.