The media tablet market, which was reinvigorated by Apple when it launched
the iPad earlier this year, and a handful of other factors are hampering
worldwide PC sales, research firm Gartner announced in a Nov. 29 report.
Shipments are now expected to reach 352.4 million units in 2010 — a 14.3 percent
increase over 2009 figures, but down from Gartner’s original expectation of
17.9 percent growth.
The
firm also dialed back estimates for 2011. While previously it anticipated 18.1
percent growth, it has now put that figure at 15.9 percent, or a total of 409
million units.
“These
results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on
expectations of weaker consumer demand, due in no small part to growing user
interest in media tablets such as the iPad,” Ranjit Atwal, a Gartner
research director, said in a statement. “Over the longer term, media
tablets are expected to displace around 10 percent of PC units by 2014.”
In
addition to tablets, the firm sees next-generation smartphones and other devices
that “enable better on-the-go content consumption” as negatively
impacting the growth of the PC market.
For more, read the eWeek article: Apple iPad, Tight Budgets Hurting PC Sales, Gartner Says.