Tablets Starting to Outsell Desktops

With the sales of the desktop PC already sloping down in a gentle decline, market analysts turn to look at the usurpers responsible for the second nail in the desktop PC’s coffin. First, it was the laptops and the netbooks which caused the desktop to valiantly cling to the fringes of its throne, despite the growing popularity for laptops. However, desktop PC sales were still at a rate that did not cause much concern. Taking the number two spot in the market sales, desktop PCs continued to plod along at their own pace.

However, the newest contender in the market came in the form of the little guys, the Tablet PCs. Despite public curiosity, the little guys were considered a minority and were probably not seen as much of a threat, until for the first time this year, statistics show that the popularity of the Tablet has helped it to surpass the number of desktop PCs sold. The IDC (International Data Corporation) reported that the popularity of the Tablet PC is predicted to grow further, causing an increase in its sales of over 50 percent throughout the year.

If this continued rate of sales and growth is maintained, it is expected that tablets will soon outsell laptop PCs by next year. On the other hand, the IDC cannot offer such rosy predictions for the future of laptop and desktop PCs. Sales for laptops and netbooks are expected to drop by 0.09 percent while desktop PCs will be further subjected to a decline of 4.3 percent. The introduction of the tablet brought around a huge trend in the usability and portability of computers and it is surprising to see the rate at which the tablet has evolved and taken the market by storm, especially if you consider the fact that it was launched only three years ago.

Nonetheless, the tablet might face a fierce competitor in the form of smart phones, whose sales amount to nearly 1.5 billion units sold per year. IDC predicts that sales for the tablet might amount to over 350 million units sold per year, which will definitely help cover some space in this horse race. With DELL already announcing its decision to cut down its losses and move on, rumors are running rampant and speculation is wild regarding the future of desktop PCs.

The introduction of the ‘All-In-One’ Desktop PCs did catch the public’s eye but the high price tags and other features failed to successfully capture their attention. Besides, most of the ‘All-In-One’ desktops boasted touch screens and features which were more common for the tablet. Getting mixed reviews from users, it seems that desktop PCs have reached the last leg of their race. Luckily, business organizations considered to be computer Mongols, like Microsoft, Apple, HP, Acer, Lenovo and others, are not quite ready to give up on the desktop PC. There’s still hope that they might have an ace up their sleeve.

[Image via gadgetreview]