How Are PCs Performing In The Marketplace?
As the economic situation continues to struggle, PCs have to evolve in order to deliver the performance people expect at a reasonable price. The problem here is that even as prices come down many customers still can’t afford to purchase a new computer. This has caused a significant drop in this quarter’s PC shipments.
Desktop PCs experienced the worst losses, while laptop computers actually gained some ground. Which is to say that they started shipping more units, but the value of those shipments went down quite a bit. So whether it is declining shipments or declining profit, the computer industry seems to be having some trouble at the moment.
In general, the entire market for PCs is having some trouble. When times get tough, businesses are cutting their spending and making old computers last, and individuals are taking more time to consider their personal budgets. This has led to a new kind of consumer base in which they convince themselves that the older models are “good enough.”
This wasn’t a problem just a few short years ago. The newest computers and the newest gadgets were practically requirements for any respectable computer user, but desperate times call for desperate measures and there has been a shift away from the high-end, expensive computers to the smaller, more affordable models.
Manufacturers have tried to compensate for this slump through innovation and price reductions. Intel, for example, has announced the new Corei7 and Core i5 processors that are more powerful and more energy efficient than most of their previous models.
Laptop and tablet PCs are also changing a lot. Because this part of the market is actually growing manufacturers are seeking to make the user experience even more enjoyable. Many companies have implemented new touchscreen technology to create an intuitive way to interact with the computer. Multi-touch screens have recently been released as well, to give users even more precise control over various objects.
The biggest change that is about to hit PCs is the release of Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system. This OS is reportedly going to solve a lot of the problems that were created by the previous system and, at the same time, build in native support for many of the emerging technologies.
The question is: will all these innovations increase the sales of PCs? No one can say for sure, but there are many reports that have fairly optimistic projections about the PC marketplace. That is because even if desktop PCs have trouble, the laptop and netbook markets will pick up the slack. Only time will tell if that will be enough.
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As the economic situation continues to struggle, PCs have to evolve in order to deliver the performance people expect at a reasonable price. The problem here is that even as prices come down many customers still can’t afford to purchase a new computer. This has caused a significant drop in this quarter’s PC shipments.
Desktop PCs experienced the worst losses, while laptop computers actually gained some ground. Which is to say that they started shipping more units, but the value of those shipments went down quite a bit. So whether it is declining shipments or declining profit, the computer industry seems to be having some trouble at the moment.
In general, the entire market for PCs is having some trouble. When times get tough, businesses are cutting their spending and making old computers last, and individuals are taking more time to consider their personal budgets. This has led to a new kind of consumer base in which they convince themselves that the older models are “good enough.”
This wasn’t a problem just a few short years ago. The newest computers and the newest gadgets were practically requirements for any respectable computer user, but desperate times call for desperate measures and there has been a shift away from the high-end, expensive computers to the smaller, more affordable models.
Manufacturers have tried to compensate for this slump through innovation and price reductions. Intel, for example, has announced the new Corei7 and Core i5 processors that are more powerful and more energy efficient than most of their previous models.
Laptop and tablet PCs are also changing a lot. Because this part of the market is actually growing manufacturers are seeking to make the user experience even more enjoyable. Many companies have implemented new touchscreen technology to create an intuitive way to interact with the computer. Multi-touch screens have recently been released as well, to give users even more precise control over various objects.
The biggest change that is about to hit PCs is the release of Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system. This OS is reportedly going to solve a lot of the problems that were created by the previous system and, at the same time, build in native support for many of the emerging technologies.
The question is: will all these innovations increase the sales of PCs? No one can say for sure, but there are many reports that have fairly optimistic projections about the PC marketplace. That is because even if desktop PCs have trouble, the laptop and netbook markets will pick up the slack. Only time will tell if that will be enough.