IDC slashes PC sales forecast for 2011

IDC today nearly halved its worldwide PC shipment growth forecast for 2011 on the back of continued sluggish consumer demand in mature markets. The analysis house projected yearly growth of 7.1 per cent back in February but has downgraded this to just 4.2 per cent following a weak Q1 when sales slipped 1.1 per cent with the …

[lurker]

Perspective

This is a halving of growth forecasts, not a halving of sales. Even a growth rate of 4.2% really isn't that bad, considering the generally dire state of the world's economies.

People are still buying netbooks, too.

Despite all the hype here and elsewhere, it is not yet time to welcome our new fondleslab overlords.

[Khaptain]

Seriously - Some Clever bods here then

>The market watcher reckons that next-gen chips, new operating systems

And just how exactly will Next-Gen Chips make any difference, what marvelous capacity will they behold..

>new operating systems

Which new operating systems, oh you mean youv'e heard a rumour that something new will be invented in the next 4 years. Thats some bloody crystal ball you own there buddy.

>and other features

And just what would these "Other Features" be exactly, sounds bit abstract really.

>coupled with heavy discounting from PC vendors

Heavy Discounting, can we have some figures or facts behind this statement or is thus just more bumfluff thrown into the pile of vomit that was previoulsy upheaved.

>IDC estimates growth of between 10 per cent to 11 per cent for 2012 to 2015.

Well I guess it will be a bad idea to invest in the PC market then as we can safely assume that IDC are talking utter bollocks.

If anyone wants a real analysis : here goes. ( Yes you can quote me on this).

In the next few years, 2012->2016, I predict that there will be some unexpected market changes, "followed" by some drivel from a market analysis company stating that they had forseen everything.

or

Market fluctuation in 2012->2016, will mirror the conflicting feedback generated by Marketing Analysis companies between lunch breaks and alcohol fuelled brainstorming.

Woe betide anyone that listens to these punks..

[Robert Ramsay]

I predict...

...that these predictions will be exactly as accurate as all other predictions about the future that these companies make.

[multipharious]

IDC predictions

I love looking back at old presentations where IDC has been quoted. What is even better is when folks reuse slides several years later that include these same graphs that spike upwards indicating massive, unstoppable, compound growth rates. If this were actually true the average email would be several TB by now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ho-hum

Of course PC sales will be lower than was erroneously predicted. Lappies are OK but the era of the netbook is pretty much finished: I've now been using my Asus Transformer fondle-slab (complete with keyboard) for a month and it wipes out Apple's iPad and much else especially with the new Honeycomb update.