Analysts predict massive 9.7% full-year drop in PC shipments: More horror results ahead

The contraction of the PC market is expected to worsen, with analysts now predicting a full-year contraction in shipments of 9.7%.

According to new figures by IDC, full-year PC shipments are expected to be crunched, falling from 349.2 million in 2012 to 315.4 million for 2013.

More alarmingly, the trend is not limited to developed countries, with the emerging middle class in nations such as India and Brazil increasingly adopting tablets and smartphones in preference to traditional PCs.

Total PC shipments in emerging markets are expected to drop from 205.2 million to 185 million.

Meanwhile, in mature markets, PC shipments are expected to fall from 144 million in 2012 to 130.4 million in 2013, with a further fall to around 121.2 million anticipated for 2017.

“The days where one can assume tablet disruptions are purely a First World problem are over,” says IDC senior research analyst Jay Chou.

“Advances in PC hardware, such as improvements in the power efficiency of x86 processors remain encouraging, and Windows 8.1 is also expected to address a number of well-documented concerns.

“However, the current PC usage experience falls short of meeting changing usage patterns that are spreading through all regions, especially as tablet price and performance become ever more attractive.”

The prediction is further bad news for a troubled sector, with PC giant HP recently reporting a 15% drop in net earnings and a 22% drop in revenue from consumer devices during the fiscal third quarter.

Meanwhile, rival Dell reported a massive 72% year-on-year collapse in second quarter earnings, as a consortium led by founder Michael Dell and prominent investor Carl Icahn battle for control of the company.