Analysts are quoting a drop of 8-11% in PC shipments between 2014 and 2015, while Apple has reported a rise of 6% in the number of Macs being shipped.
Apple Inc. has reported a growth in the number of Macs sold and shipped, while PC shipments worldwide are on the decline. As per research data collated by analysis firms Gartner and International Data Corp, PC shipments were at about 280 million in 2015, down by about 8-10%, varying by reports. Apple, meanwhile, has reported a growth of 6% in terms of sales figures of Macs. While Apple is still far behind in terms of gross numbers, the growth is been attributed to its global standing as a manufacturer of premium technology equipment, over the likes of Lenovo, Dell and HP.
Furthermore, the decline in the number of PC shipments is also a direct result of the rise in the number of more compact computing devices like smartphones and tablets. Mobile computing devices have grown in terms of power, ability and usage, leading to many users not opting to buy a PC. Nevertheless, Lenovo remains the industry leader in the number of PC shipment, having sold 57 million PCs worldwide, last year. In comparison, Apple has sold an estimated 21 million Macs, despite its increasing numbers.
While Apple fine-tuned its OS X operating system alongside introducing 4K displays for smaller iMacs and 5K displays for flagship iMacs may have worked in reviving its numbers since its slump after the iPad’s launch in 2012, PC companies have attributed the economic instability across Asia as one of the reasons for the steady decline. Microsoft, developers of the world’s most-used Windows operating system, withdrew continued support for its older version of the OS, Windows XP. Microsoft’s Windows XP was massively popular, and this, along with Microsoft’s strategy to provide Windows 10 as a free upgrade, did not push up PC sales, as many manufacturers would have hoped for. On the contrary, the withdrawal of support for Windows XP led to the continued fall of numbers.
Apple, on the other hand, has been establishing and promoting its outreach in China, a massive economy in itself. With larger stores, extended services and full catalogue of products being introduced in China, Apple has maintained its target of growth in the desktop computing space. For PC manufacturers, most of them are venturing into the hybrid computer segment, in an attempt to bring the best of PC computing’s power and a tablet’s convenience fused together into a device with detachable keyboard. While Apple has also come up with a similar device in the iPad Pro, the likes of Microsoft and Google are also venturing into the same territory, with devices like Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Google Pixel C.
Follow Us
Digit NewsDesk
Digit News Desk writes news stories across a range of topics. Getting you news updates on the latest in the world of tech. View Full Profile
