The PC market is in great shape: 3 factors that will push you to buy a new machine

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For the computer market, the crisis is over. IDC has just released a new report on PC shipments in the second quarter of 2024 and according to it, manufacturers shipped a total of 64.9 million units, an increase of 3%. year-on-year. And that includes China, where the situation remains complicated. Excluding China, shipments (to other countries) increased by 5%.

After experiencing 8 consecutive quarters of decline, the PC market shows growth in shipments over two consecutive quarters (the first and second quarters of 2024). And in the coming quarters, certain factors will push consumers and businesses to purchase new machines.

Windows 11 and renewal cycle

As you may already know, Microsoft is preparing to end support for Windows 10. More precisely, the end of support for this OS is scheduled for October 14, 2025. And this end of support is already pushing businesses and individuals to purchase new machines. Indeed, although Microsoft offers the Windows 11 update for free, this new OS is incompatible with a very large number of computers currently using Windows 10.

But beyond that, IDC simply refers to a device renewal cycle. In April, Jitesh Ubrani, research director at IDC, talked about replacing machines that were purchased during the pandemic.

The “AI PCs” are coming

Another factor that can lead to the purchase of a new PC: artificial intelligence. Today, it is possible to use chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini on any computer that has a web browser. However, on some computers, more AI features can be accessed, which are integrated directly into the machine.

Microsoft and its partners are offering a new generation of PCs called “Copilot+,” which feature an AI-optimized processor and features based on the Copilot assistant. As for Apple, it has presented Apple Intelligence, a series of features based on generative AI. These features will be available starting this fall, but to take advantage of them, you will need to have a Mac using at least the M1 chip (the first generation of Apple Silicon processors).

Promotions

Otherwise, during the second quarter, PC sales would also have been pushed by promotions. “Apart from the commercial refresh cycle, promotional activities from brands and consumer-facing channels have helped strengthen the segment,” says Jitesh Ubrani. However, he also explains that the market has already finished showing its lowest prices, which were caused by an excess of inventory in 2023.

• IDC Reports Further Rise in PC Shipments
• Manufacturers Shipped 64.9 Million Units in Q2 2024
• Several factors, including the end of Windows 10 and the arrival of new machines boosted with artificial intelligence, will push you to buy a new PC

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