Worldwide personal computer market shipments fell 13.9 percent in the first quarter of this year- the biggest drop that the industry has experienced in over two decades.  Many analysts believe this is due to a backfire from Window’s 8 new operating system, as well as consumer migration to connected devices such as tablets and especially smart phones.

Windows 8: New operating systems have historically boosted PC sales, but the cold reception to Microsoft’s Windows 8 has spurred sales this quarter.  A few factors attribute to this flop, including the price-point of touch-screen PC models which are “required” to get the most out of the operating system.  In reality, however, Windows 8 operates seamlessly on any standard machine.  The functionality of the new system has also turned off many past-users.  Whereas the old program used the familiar “start” button and task bar, the new Windows 8 utilizes a variety of colorful tiles to represent applications.  Many are unfamiliar with the new setup and, as a result, have not chosen to upgrade their systems due to the unnecessary technological shift in navigating simple PC tasks.

Technology Shift:  Yes, global PC shipments fell $12.3 million from last year, but can we honestly put all the blame on Windows 8?  This operating flop may have slowed the PC market, but consumer shifts to substitute technology is also a cause.  An analyst at Gartner, Mikako Kitagawa, points out that “even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors”.  Simply put, consumers are opting for connected devices such as tablets and smartphones, opposed to PCs and new Windows operating systems. 

Expect to see these trends continue down the road.  Microsoft will no-doubt release a new operating system in hopes of replacing their unsuccessful Window’s 8 flop, but every day they wait tablet sales will continue to dominate the market.