Your desktop -- and maybe even the shiny new laptop that you bought a few months ago -- are dinosaurs. The "good enough" computing revolution that has nudged consumers-on-the-go toward smartphones and tablets is taking its toll on the box business.
Personal computer sales fell 1.1% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2010, according to industry research firm Gartner, but while its report lists a few possible reasons for the decline, none are compelling, and the drop is unlikely to presage a serious decline in PC sales.
Gartner has lowered its laptop-sales forecast for this year and the next, predicting that the popularity of tablets and smartphones will slow laptop sales. Gartner expects worldwide laptop sales to increase 11% this year and and 14% next year, down from a previously forecast 16$ and 15%, respectively.
Samsung is out to boost its laptop sales by 80% this year, and key to that effort will be its supersvelte 9 Series notebook. Aimed directly at Apple's MacBook Air, the new machine is a move to refocus on high-end gear -- with a high-end price to match.
U.S. consumers spent 5% less on consumer electronics during the last holiday season compared to a year earlier, according to a new report from NPD Group. Even at discounted prices, Americans bought fewer flat-screen televisions and desktop computers, as well as lower-end digital cameras and MP3 players, according to the report.
In a move to help it target tablet computers, cell-phone-chip designer Qualcomm has reportedly offered $3.5 billion to buy Atheros Communications, which has developed chips that connect wireless computers to the Internet.
Intel's stock is up just 2% this year compared to the Nasdaq's 17% rise, and investors fret that the explosive growth of smartphones and tablets will crimp the market for the PC chips that produce the bulk of Intel's revenue. But the tech giant has a plan.
Google's already got deals to supply its Chrome operating system for Hewlett-Packard and Acer laptops. But now rumors are circulating that the company's about to come out with its own laptop, also named Chrome and made by Inventec, later this month.
Corning's (GLW) third-quarter profit rose 22% from a year earlier, as higher sales of the company's automotive and diesel-emission products more than offset the falling glass prices for flat-panel TVs.
Americans are about 50% more likely to own a mobile phone than either a laptop or desktop computer, making handsets easily the most commonly used gadget in the U.S., Pew Research Center said in a report released today.
Mobile-computing device shipments will grow 19% annually over the next four years as more people buy tablet-type products like Apple's iPad, according to research firm In-Stat. The report released Wednesday indicates that notebook makers should do well in the recovery.
About one-sixth of the world's population will have subscriptions to mobile-broadband service in five years as Internet-surfing smartphone owners will be joined by more people looking for portable broadband Internet service through their laptop computers and iPads, according to a report released yesterday.
Toshiba Corp. is recalling about 41,000 laptop computers because the computers may overheat, causing the area where the A/C adapter connects to the computer to melt and possibly burn.
Chipmakers such as Intel are launching cheaper power-sipping chips that could bring thinner and lighter laptops to the masses. As a result, you can expect to see a larger selection of slender laptops on store shelves this summer.
Shoppers looking to buy this season's most popular gifts may end up leaving stores with rain checks instead. It looks like retailers weren't kidding when they warned earlier this year that they were cutting back on inventory to avoid markdowns.
