As tablets rise, PC sales slipping, Gartner says

Research firm Gartner anticipates another year of modest growth in the PC market, estimating that 368 million units will ship worldwide during 2012.

This figure represents only a 4.4 percent increase from 2011, though Gartner does expect PC sales to rebound in 2013, when an estimated 400 million laptop and desktop computers are forecast to ship.

Gartner attributes much of the slowed PC growth directly to the rise of tablet computers and smartphones. Last year, analysts say, redefined the device market, as people gravitated toward mobile devices to access their typical computing applications, such as email, social media and the internet. This trend is especially prevalent in established markets, where consumers and businesses alike are adopting advanced mobile devices at a breakneck pace.

The 2012 PC market is not without its bright spots, however. Gartner reports that the emergence of the Ultrabook™ and Microsoft's upcoming Windows® 8 operating system should garner significant attention in the latter half of 2012 and help boost sluggish PC sales.

Other analysts are more optimistic about the strength of the PC market. Despite the surge in tablet and smartphone sales, a January 2012 report from the NPD Group estimates that PC shipments increased approximately 20 percent between 2010 and 2011, indicating there is still life in the market.