Signs of growth are finally returning to the PC market which will, according to IT research giant IDC, grow 3.7% year over year in 2024 reaching 261.4 million shipments. But while this figure will be higher than the 2018 shipments, it will still come in south of 2019 levels.
► Sales will rise but still come in below 2019 pre-pandemic levels
► Move to hybrid still happening in many organisations
► Windows 10 EoL in 2025 will boost refresh activity
IDC said in its latest Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker that the industry still faces challenges including concerns around the consumer market refresh cycle, businesses pushing device purchases forward, and education budgets that are not rebounding. As a result, 2023 shipments are forecast to decline 13.7% year over year to 252 million units.
Whilst consumer demand remains tepid at best, it noted, the commercial PC market is more interesting and while AI-capable PCs are not ready today, they are coming and have shifted some of the discussion around device purchasing within businesses.
It also pointed out that the move to remote/hybrid work environments has not yet been fully completed and many companies continue to review different scenarios and options for work environments.
Another factor next year will be the approaching end of support for Windows 10 in 2025, which will drive commercial refresh activity.
