After a nice spike during the first two years of the pandemic, global PC shipments continued to drop for a fourth consecutive quarter. Analyst firm IDC’s latest figure has Q1 down 29% from the same time last year. Canalys paints an even more troubling picture for the industry, with a full 33% drop.
A disappointing 2022 holiday set the stage for the beginning of the year, as vendor inventory has continued to pile up – a trend that is expected to carry at least into Q3. The plunge has been so consistent that last quarter’s figures dipped below those of Q1 2019, putting worldwide shipments below their pre-pandemic level.
“Though channel inventory has depleted in the last few months, it’s still well above the healthy four to six week range,” says IDC’s Jitesh Ubrani. “Even with heavy disc...
