GEC NEWS WIREThe End of Windows XP Support Provides a Boost in PC Replacements
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.6 million units in the first quarter of 2014, a 1.7 percent decline from the first quarter of 2013, according to preliminary results by Gartner. The severity of the decline eased compared with the past seven quarters.
“The end of XP support by Microsoft on April 8 has played a role in the easing decline of PC shipments,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “All regions indicated a positive effect since the end of XP support stimulated the PC refresh of XP systems. Professional desktops, in particular, showed strength in the quarter. Among key countries, Japan was greatly affected by the end of XP support, registering a 35 percent year-over-year increase in PC shipments. The growth was also boosted by sales tax change. We expect the impact of XP migration worldwide to continue throughout 2014.”
“In terms of the major structural shift of the PC market, the U.S. market is ahead of other regions,” said Kitagawa. “The installed base of PCs started declining in 2013, while the worldwide installed base still grew. The U.S. PC market has been highly saturated with devices: 99 percent of households own at least one or more desktops or laptops, and more than half of them own both. While tablet penetration is expected to reach 50 percent in 2014, some consumer spending could return to PCs.”
The EMEA PC market saw positive growth after eight quarters of decline. Shipments in EMEA totaled 22.9 million units in the first quarter of 2014, a 0.3 percent increase from the same period last year (see Table 3). Improvements were driven by a PC refresh in the professional market from both the XP effect, and a general increase in professional spending.
