Tablet growth slows pc demand, sales decline

"Weak demand for consumer pcs was the biggest inhibitor of growth," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "Low prices for consumer pcs, which had long stimulated growth, no longer attracted buyers. Instead, consumers turned their attention to media tablets and other consumer electronics. With the launch of the iPad 2 in February, more consumers either switched to buying an alternative device, or simply held back from buying pcs. We're investigating whether this trend is likely to have a long term effect on the pc market." Despite the consumer decline, Gartner says steady growth in the professional pc sector, driven by the replacement cycle, was a bright spot for the global pc market. "Without the professional segment growth, the pc market could have experienced one of the worst declines in its recent history," asserted Kitagawa, who predicts replacement sales will continue into late 2011 and the start of 2012.