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In hard economic times, PCs have to keep evolving to deliver a quality experience at a more affordable price. Unfortunately, even as the prices continue to come down, many consumers simply have not been able to afford a new computer, which has led to a significant drop in this quarter’s PC shipments.
Desktop PCs experienced the worst losses, while laptop computers actually gained some ground. Which is to say that they started shipping more units, but the value of those shipments went down quite a bit. So whether it is declining shipments or declining profit, the computer industry seems to be having some trouble at the moment.
In general, the entire market for PCs is having some trouble. When times get tough, businesses are cutting their spending and making old computers last, and individuals are taking more time to consider their personal budgets. This has led to a new kind of consumer base in which they convince themselves that the older models are “good enough.”
That wasn’t a problem a couple years ago. Back then it seemed that any computer use was more than willing to shell out money for the latest computers and gadgets. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and consumers have slowly turned away from high-end, expensive computers and seek out the more affordable models.
Manufacturers have tried to compensate for this slump through innovation and price reductions. Intel, for example, has announced the new Corei7 and Core i5 processors that are more powerful and more energy efficient than most of their previous models.
Laptop and tablet PCs are also seeing a lot of innovation as manufacturers seek out ways to make the user experience more enjoyable. Touchscreens that allow users to have precise control over the objects on the monitor are being implemented in consumer model PCs. These multi-touch screens will make the experience more intuitive and more enjoyable for the average user.
Then, probably the biggest change coming to PCs is the release of Microsoft Windows 7. This new operating system is supposed to solve a lot of the problems created by its predecessor while offering native support for many of these new technologies.
Will all these innovations be enough to turn around the troubled PC market? It’s hard to say. Many projections think that the PC market in general will be okay, because even though desktop PCs probably won’t see much growth, the laptop and netbook markets will pick up the slack. Will that be enough? Only time will tell.
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