PC sales decline continues

PC sales worldwide have seen a further decline, falling almost 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2012, as consumers continue to choose tablets, a new report claims.

Research firmGartner reportsthat the third quarter of 2013, which is historically a period of growth as students and teachers return schools and colleges, PC sales totalled 80.3m units – an 8.6 per cent decline compared to Q3 2012.

Sales this quarter dropped to their lowest volume since 2008,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. Consumers’ shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets."

Tablets sales have been chomping away at PC sales since the arrival of Apple’s iPad. But Gartner also blamed overall decline on a shift in inventory.

Sister site Develop has the full story.