Are premium PCs the new growth driver?

Traditional desktop and notebook PCs have had a rough time of late, and no end is in sight. According to market research firm Gartner, traditional desktops and notebooks are expected to decline from 277 million global shipments in 2014 to 233 million in 2017, a decline of about 16 percent.

However, not all is dark for the PC industry. Gartner noted that global shipments of premium ultra-mobile PCs, which include Windows 8/10 or Mac OS powered by higher-end Intel x86 chips, are going to be the fastest-growing mobile computing devices, beating out traditional PCs, tablets and even mobile phones. The segment is expected to grow at a rate exceeding 30 percent every year from 2015-17, ultimately making up for lost shipments of desktops and other laptops. The overall number of shipments is expected to go from 37 million units in 2014 to 89 million in 2017, increasing 2.4 times.

One of the reasons for this increase is the replacement of desktop PCs by more mobile PCs. This is especially true in the US and EMEA, which saw increases in mobile PC shipments despite declines in the overall PC market. In APAC, mobile PC growth was 3.7 percent YoY in Q1 even as purchases of desktops have declined.

Another factor is the increasing support for and attractiveness of ultra-mobile PCs, often hybrids. These PCs, which feature touchscreens and are able to fold into a more tablet-like form factor, are expected to be the key drivers in the industry for the next few years. With the introduction of Windows 10 at the end of July as a free upgrade to existing Windows 7 and 8 users, all devices running Windows will be able to take advantage of these features.

See a comparison table of selected hybrid Windows PC suppliers from GlobalSources.com