UK desktop market shrunk 38%

Although the regular consumer might not be aware of the way that the PC market shifts and changes, data experts IDC are fully aware of all the major movements in the market. So what are their latest findings?  KitGuru dons a lab coat, glasses and clipboard to investigate.

Research house IDC likes to categorise and track movement in multiple market sectors. The reason for the divisions is so that they can offer clients a certain granularity of detail. Sounds like bo**ocks?  A little, maybe, but it is true and it is useful.

People with around £600 to spend, might by a reasonable desktop, media notebook or Apple iPad 2. These represent 3 very different market sectors. You might also decide that you don't want a traditional device at all, and that you would rather ignore the remaining 14 months on your phone contract and go straight out to buy a £400 iPhone 5 with a cheap Asus EeePC netbook for ‘real work'.

According to IDC's latest data, the UK market for complete Windows desktops, bought off the shelf, taken home and plugged in for hours of fun – has shrunk by a whopping 38%. That's the data for Q1 2011. A massive drop.

Has this affected the enthusiast market quite so much?

Well, we will have to wait for a more detailed report later, which will actually break the market changes down by the size of the chassis – but it is certain that the world as we knew it has definitely changed.

KitGuru says: Overall, technology spending is robust – with increases in smartphones and tablets – but the traditional way of walking into PC World and leaving with an Acer desktop, definitely belongs to a bygone era. Fingers crossed there will be some recovery before the end of the year.

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