Worldwide personal-computer shipments dropped 6.4% during the
fourth quarter of 2012, despite the much-anticipated debut of a new
operating system from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the kind of event
that's boosted PC sales in the past.
Microsoft's new operating system, dubbed Windows 8, wasn't
enough to overcome broader shifts in the industry, as people opted
to buy tablets and smartphones, according to research firm IDC,
which released the numbers. The year-over-year PC shipment decline
is the first to occur during the holiday season in more than five
years.
New PCs running Windows 8 "seem to have had a soft reception,"
said Loren Loverde, an analyst at IDC. He added: "We think people
will continue to want a PC," but right now the machines are a hard
sell.
Mr. Loverde said that PC makers need to do a better job
explaining the benefits of Windows 8 if they hope to increase
sales. These companies largely promoted the computers designed to
work with the operating system's new touch interface. But there
isn't a lot of software that works this way and these computers
tend to be more expensive. Additionally, tablets and smartphones
perform many of the functions of touch-based machines.
A Microsoft spokesman said the company has sold more than 60
million copies of Windows 8 since its release in late October. "We
see even more opportunity ahead as a great lineup of new touch
devices come to market over the course of the year," he said.
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) solidified its standing as the biggest
PC company in the world during the quarter, according to IDC, by
shipping 15 million PCs, down 0.6% from a year earlier. Lenovo
Group Ltd. (0992.HK), which nearly pulled into a tie with H-P in
the third quarter, was second, shipping 14.1 million PCs, an 8.2%
increase from a year earlier.
Third place Dell Inc. (DELL) shipped 9.5 million PCs, IDC said,
down 20.8% from a year ago. A Dell spokesman said the company had
an extra week in the fiscal quarter that overlaps with IDC's sample
last year and that it is focusing on high-margin sales instead of
volume.
IDC defines a shipment as a computer that has left its maker's
factory. It's a proxy for, but not an exact measure, of sales.
For the full year, PC shipments fell 3.2% to 352.4 million,
according to IDC.
--Shira Ovide contributed to this article
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