AI has not sparked the rapid growth of the global computer market and is unlikely to do so in the future

The preferences of buyers of personal computers, which IDC includes desktops, laptops and tablets, are described by company analysts in a new report. In their opinion, this year tablet shipments will increase by 9.8%, but the PC market will add only 0.8%. However, in aggregate, shipments of personal devices will grow by 3.8% to 403.5 million units.

Image Source: Apple

This forecast is all the more surprising, as the authors of the study note, given the activity with which the advantages of PCs with new generation processors, which allow local acceleration of artificial intelligence systems, have been discussed throughout the current year. Moreover, horror stories about the imminent end of support for Windows 10 ultimately did not work for the target audience, mainly concentrated in the corporate segment. Moreover, the latest revelations from Microsoft itself make it possible to verify that in practice, with support for Windows 11 on outdated computers, everything is not so scary.

Still, IDC expects the PC market to see shipment growth of 4.3% next year as corporate users are forced to migrate from Windows 10 to Windows 11. However, the artificial intelligence factor will not stimulate demand for new PCs in corporate segment, as corporate budgets continue to remain constrained in difficult macroeconomic conditions. Computers with local AI acceleration are still more expensive, and the extra cost for them in the eyes of corporate buyers does not justify the benefits they provide. Microsoft, Apple and Google now face the challenge of proving to users that new AI acceleration features are of practical benefit. PC manufacturers also need to be convinced of this so that they do not lose interest in the new generation of processors.

Image source: IDC

The commercial segment of the personal device market will grow by 5.1% in shipments next year, according to IDC analysts. The popularity of tablets this year is due to the willingness of some Chinese smartphone makers to offer tablet devices costing less than $300, which are finding buyers in China itself and many Asian countries.

The commercial segment will receive about 170 million PCs and tablets this year, according to IDC forecasts, which is 2.2% more than last year’s result. The consumer segment will absorb 233.5 million tablets and PCs, showing growth of 5%. In general, supply volumes of personal devices will increase by 3.8% to 403.5 million units. In the period up to 2028 inclusive, the commercial segment of personal devices will grow by an average of 1.7% annually, but the consumer segment will be limited to 0.6% growth per year. In total, the market will increase by percentage annually on average, increasing by the end of the forecast period to 420.6 million units.