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PC Market Slumps to Lowest Point Since 2011

Two-in-ones were a bright spot in the market, but Q1 shipments of all other categories were "weak," Canalys says.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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A note to PC vendors: Now would be a good time to bring some innovation to the market, because things are not going great.

According to new data from Canalys, the PC market continued its downward slide in the first quarter of the year as total shipment volumes fell to their lowest point since 2011. Worldwide PC shipments — including desktops, notebooks, tablets, and 2-in-1 tablets — totaled 101 million units during the period, a 13 percent year-on-year dip, the research firm said.

Since the data includes tablets, Apple held onto its spot at the top of the market with shipments of more than 14 million units, despite falling 17 percent, Canalys reported. Lenovo was a close second, shipping 25,000 fewer units than Apple, though its decline "moved into double digits on the back of weakening sales in Greater China." HP came in third, followed by Dell and Samsung; check out the chart below.

Canalys PC numbers Q1 2016

On a positive note, 2-in-1s were a bright spot in the market, growing more than 13 percent. Shipments of all other categories, meanwhile, were "weak." Demand for tablets was especially low, with shipments falling around 15 percent to less than 39 million units.

In a statement, Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Coulling said the number of people looking to buy their first PC "is at an all-time low" and this year is likely to bring more hardship to PC vendors around the world.

"The global PC market had a bad start to 2016 and it is difficult to see any bright spots for vendors in the coming quarters," Coulling said. "The tablet boom has faded in the distance and the market is fully mature."

Unless vendors step up their game and "bring transformational innovation to the market," global shipment declines are expected to continue, he added.

See what PCMag's Sascha Segan and Tim Torres have to say about the report in the video below.

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Posted by PCMag on Tuesday, May 10, 2016

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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