Topic study: Do the masses still need PCs? How does the PC market get out of the cold winter?
According to market research firm Canalys data, in the first quarter of this year, the overall PC shipments in the Chinese market fell by 24% year-on-year to 8.9 million units, which is the fifth consecutive quarter of decline. As of the end of 618 this year, none of the major PC manufacturers are willing to issue battle reports.
From the second half of 2022 to the present, the world's three major PC giants have laid off more than 10,000 employees worldwide. How does the PC market get out of the cold winter? What are the main reasons for the cold winter in the PC market? Where is the future of the PC market headed?
1️⃣ The deep reason why the PC market entered the cold winter
In recent years, with the advancement of technology and the change of lifestyle, the PC market has faced a series of challenges. The rise of laptops, the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, and the growth of cloud computing have all had an impact on consumer demand for traditional desktops. However, despite the difficulties, there are still opportunities to innovate to meet the needs of specific markets, which also makes the PC market still have its own advantages and market needs.
The emergence of notebook computers allows users to easily use them in different scenarios, and their performance and functions have also been greatly improved compared with traditional desktop computers. This has led more and more people to turn to laptops as their primary work and entertainment tool. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), over the past few years, sales of laptops have grown while sales of desktops have declined.
Another factor affecting the PC market is the popularity of smartphones and tablets. The portability and versatility of smartphones make them one of the essential tools in people's daily life. People are increasingly using smartphones for email, browsing the internet, social media and other everyday tasks. The rapid adoption of tablets has also changed consumer demand for PCs, especially for entertainment. Many users tend to watch videos, play games and read e-books on their tablets. As a result, they may require less of a traditional desktop or laptop.
The rise of cloud computing has also had an impact on the PC market. Cloud computing provides convenient data storage and processing methods, enabling users to access and process data from any location. This flexibility makes users more dependent on cloud services and reduces the need for local storage and high-performance hardware. As more and more applications and services move to the cloud, the performance demands on PC devices decrease accordingly.
To sum up, the cold winter of the PC market can actually be attributed to changes in consumer demand. The popularity of portable devices, the popularity of smartphones and tablets, and the development of cloud computing have all led to a reduction in consumer demand for traditional desktop computers. However, although the PC market is facing challenges, it still has its own advantages and market needs, such as professional workstations, gaming equipment, and high-performance computers. Therefore, PC manufacturers need to continue to innovate and provide products that match consumer needs in order to maintain market competitiveness.
2️⃣ PC still has unique advantages and irreplaceability
Although the rise of mobile devices has brought tremendous pressure to the PC market, we cannot ignore the unique advantages and irreplaceability of PCs.
First, the PC is still an indispensable tool for professional users. Professionals such as designers, programmers, and video editors often require hardware with higher performance and larger storage capacity to handle complex tasks. They may need to run multiple design software concurrently, compile large code bases, or process large volumes of high-resolution images and videos. These professional fields require computers with scalability, high-performance processors, and more memory and storage space than current mobile devices can match.
Although mobile devices have gradually improved their performance in recent years, they still cannot match high-end PCs due to their own limitations, such as thermal issues and processor performance limitations. Some gamers and professional video producers demand higher graphics performance and processing power for smooth gaming experience or high-quality video rendering. This requires a combination of advanced graphics cards, powerful processors, and more scalable hardware in PCs.
In addition, the keyboard, mouse and large-screen display of the PC also provide users with a more efficient operating experience. For tasks that require a lot of typing or complex operations, such as long-form writing, data crunching, and editing, a PC's physical keyboard and mouse are far superior to touchscreen devices. Also, larger screens allow for better viewing and multitasking capabilities.
While mobile devices are gaining popularity in the personal consumer market, PCs are still indispensable for professional users and certain industries. Whether it is high-performance requirements or a more efficient operating experience, PC has its inherent advantages and irreplaceability, making it continue to play an important role in specific fields.
3️⃣ Innovation, customization and user experience
In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers, the PC market has been impacted and some difficulties have emerged. To get out of this long winter, the PC market needs to take a series of measures to attract the public's attention.
First, manufacturers need to introduce more innovative and functional products. After years of development, the basic functions of PCs have been relatively saturated. Therefore, in order to attract consumers, manufacturers need to continuously improve performance and add new features. For example, innovations such as the introduction of higher-resolution displays, more powerful processors, and faster storage technologies can enhance the PC user experience and differentiate it from portable devices.
At the same time, customization is also an important direction. Different users have different needs for PCs. Some users may pay more attention to the performance of professional-level applications, while others may pay more attention to entertainment features. Therefore, manufacturers should launch customized products that meet the needs of different fields according to the needs of different users. For example, a high-performance gaming PC for gaming enthusiasts, or a powerful workstation for designers and creators.
In addition to product innovation and customization, manufacturers should also focus on user experience and services. After purchasing a PC, users may face some technical issues or require support. Therefore, good after-sales service and timely and effective technical support are one of the important factors to attract consumers.
Industry news and phenomena in recent years also reflect these trends. For example, some manufacturers have begun to launch PCs with folding screens to provide users with more flexible usage methods. At the same time, a large number of professional-grade PC products are aimed at designers, audio-visual editors and other professional user groups to meet their needs for high performance and special functions. In addition, some manufacturers also focus on improving pre-sales and after-sales services to strengthen the interaction between users and brands.
The form, technology, and capabilities of the PC have undergone many exciting changes in recent years. Here are some new trends in the industry and how they are driving PC refreshes and upgrades:
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Mobility and portability : With the popularization of mobile Internet and the increasing demand of users for portable devices, PCs are getting thinner and lighter. For example, notebook computers are gradually becoming thinner, lighter, and more portable, while also bringing longer battery life. Beyond that, there are foldable PCs that can unfold the screen into a tablet when needed.
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More performance and processing power : PC refreshes and upgrades are mostly focused on offering more powerful performance and processing power. The advent of a new generation of processors has enabled PCs to run more complex and computationally intensive tasks such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, the development of graphics processing units (GPUs) has also enabled computers to process high-resolution videos, 3D games, etc. more smoothly.
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Innovations in human-computer interaction interfaces : The update and upgrade of personal computers has also brought about innovative human-computer interaction interfaces. The popularization of technologies such as touch screen technology, gesture control and voice recognition has not only changed the way users use computers, but also improved the convenience of operation. For example, Microsoft's Surface series products combine a touch screen with a keyboard and mouse to provide more flexible and diverse interaction methods.
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Diversification of hardware devices : The forms of personal computers are gradually diversifying. For example, a 2-in-1 laptop has the ability to detach or flip the screen, allowing it to be used as both a laptop and a tablet. Also, with the rise of technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality, there have been some PCs dedicated to VR and AR applications.
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Cloud computing and online services : The development of cloud computing allows the storage and computing capabilities of personal computers to be expanded through the cloud. With the help of cloud computing and online services, users can save data and applications on remote servers, thereby reducing the pressure on local computer storage and providing more convenient ways of data sharing and access.
Generally speaking, the form, technology and function of PC are constantly updated and upgraded. They are becoming lighter, more powerful, and provide more diverse ways of human-computer interaction. With the application of emerging technologies and changes in industry trends, there will be more exciting innovations in the field of personal computers in the future.
Therefore, in order to get out of this long cold winter, the PC market needs to continuously introduce innovative and functional products, combined with customization to meet the needs of different users. At the same time, it is also crucial to focus on user experience and provide good service. Through these measures, the PC market is expected to attract public attention and gain new opportunities for development.
4️⃣ The new way out brought by the era of AI and VR
In recent years, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have developed rapidly and have had a huge impact in various industries. These technological advancements also have great potential for the PC market. How to grasp the opportunity of technological development has become a key issue for PC manufacturers.
Artificial intelligence has penetrated into all walks of life and gradually entered people's daily life. Whether it's self-driving cars, smart homes, or smart assistants, artificial intelligence is constantly changing the way we live. In the PC field, artificial intelligence can achieve more efficient data processing and pattern recognition through deep learning algorithms, thereby improving the performance of computer systems. PC manufacturers can work with software developers to launch hardware that supports AI algorithms to meet the computing performance requirements of professional users and gamers.
Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are gradually becoming mature and widely used in entertainment, games, education and other fields. Nowadays, more and more virtual reality devices and applications are emerging to create an immersive experience for users. PC manufacturers can work with software developers to introduce more powerful hardware such as graphics cards, processors and peripherals to provide smoother and more lifelike virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. At the same time, in response to the needs of professional users and gamers, innovations in hardware design can also be made, such as light and comfortable head-mounted displays and high-precision interactive devices.
Cooperating with software developers, PC manufacturers can reap the benefits in many ways. First, cooperation can help PC manufacturers better understand market demands and industry trends, thereby adjusting product strategies and technical directions. Second, cooperation can speed up technology research and development and product innovation. The expertise and experience of software developers can help PC manufacturers to introduce hardware products suitable for the latest technology more quickly. In addition, cooperation can also share resources and technologies, reduce research and development costs, and shorten time to market. Finally, through cooperation, PC manufacturers can establish long-term cooperative relationships with software developers, forming a virtuous circle, and jointly promoting technological development and market growth.
By partnering with software developers, PC makers can better meet the demands of professional users and gamers for high-performance hardware. Professional users usually have very high requirements for computing performance, and they need to process large amounts of data, perform complex simulation calculations, and so on. Gamers, on the other hand, pursue the fidelity and fluency of the game screen. Based on these needs, PC makers can introduce hardware suitable for new technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality, providing more powerful computing power and graphics performance to attract this specific user group.
Overall, seizing technological development opportunities is key to PC makers' success in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality . By cooperating with software developers to introduce hardware that is more suitable for these new technologies, PC manufacturers can meet the needs of professional users and gamers and stand out from the competition in the market. At the same time, cooperation can also promote technological development, reduce costs, accelerate product innovation, and promote the prosperity and development of the entire PC market.
Finally, publicity and marketing strategies cannot be ignored . Vendors need to step up efforts to educate consumers and show them the unique capabilities and applicability of PCs. By providing customized products, adding intelligent functions and providing good after-sales support, consumers' confidence in the PC market can be rebuilt and their desire to buy can be stimulated.
In the age of mobile devices, the outlook of the PC market is still full of challenges, but it is not absolutely dead. Through innovation, technological development, customization and effective publicity, the PC market is still expected to be rejuvenated to meet the needs of different fields of the public.
