PC Sales Poised for First Drop Ever

According to one industry observer, Microsoft Citi analyst Walter Pritchard, PC sales are about to drop for the first time ever. Prichard’s analysis says that when first quarter figures are released, PC sales will drop. This follows a sustained period when PC sales usually showed double digit growth.

The big change is the iPad and myriad other tablet devices that are flooding the market. A drop in PC sales seems like a natural extension of the proliferation of tablets. According to a recent Nielsen study that we quoted several weeks ago, tablet users say they are using desktop computers 35% less than before and laptop usage has dropped by 32%. Many of the early adopters of tablets may be tempted to hold back on upgrading their existing PCs, in favor of looking to new generation of the faster and nimbler tablets.