PC shipments plummeted 13.9 percent during the first quarter of 2013 as compared to the same period of time last year, even more than the expected decline of around 7.7 percent. The International Data Corporation released its Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker data today, and reports that these numbers are the worst quarter ever, since the IDC began tracking the PC market in 1994. This also makes it the fourth quarter in a row of year-over-year declines in PC shipments.
Apple and HP have been rated best for customer experience in a study of 10,000 consumers in the United States carried out by Temkin Group. Apple took the top spot in the computer sector with a rating of 64%, while HP took second place with a rating of 62%.
At the other end of the spectrum sat Sony and Lenovo, which were the lowest-rated computer makers.
Samsung smartphones outsold those from rivals Apple, Nokia, and Lenovo in China throughout 2012, allowing the Korean company to claim the biggest share of the Chinese smartphone market, according to the latest report from Strategy Analytics.
Nokia had claimed the top spot in 2011, but the Finnish firm has struggled to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy devices this time around, and couldn’t even make its way into the top five.
Apple could launch its $330 “iPhone mini” as early as this summer to boost the company’s smartphone sales in China, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. It’s expected the low-cost device could provide Apple with an additional 20% of the smartphone market, adding to the 10% it has already claimed with the iPhone 5. And with smartphone prices now beginning to stabilize in China, now would be an ideal time for such a device.
In the Post-PC era, we’ve seen PC sales steadily decline while consumers embrace tablets. Dell and Acer have suffered huge losses while the PC market contracts, but Apple’s Mac business is actually growing year over year.
Research firm Gartner released their personal computer shipment data for the fourth quarter of 2012 today, and found that while some manufacturers are in decline, a select few have been able to increase their marketshare.
LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 - Big ass tablets “Table PCs” have been all the rage at CES this year. Lenovo and Panasonic think that you want to throw a dance party on a big iPad on the floor. It’s amazing, but not in a good way.
Rather than waiting for everyone else to jump in on the big ass tablet craze – we’re looking at your Samsung – did you know that you can actually just pay Steven Hu, of T.S. MicroTech, to make you your own 32-inch Android tablet? Heck, he’ll even make you a 65-incher if you pay him enough.
When you just look at the money Apple made in 2012 it’s pretty incredible. But when you provide some context to those earnings and put Apple’s profits next to the competition’s profits, Apple’s performance is absolutely mindboggling.
From October 2011 to September 2012 Apple made more money than Microsoft, Ebay, Google, Yahoo! Facebook and Amazon combined. In that same period, Dell, Asus, Intel, Acer, IBM, Lenovo, and HP (basically the entire PC industry) only made $19.3 billion in profit, which is less than half of Apple’s profit.
Despite holiday gains, Apple retakes tablet market share from Amazon and Android.
While Apple saw strong sales for all its iOS devices during its post-holiday quarter, Android tablet sales slumped, giving up any gains that Android had seen as a tablet platform during the holiday shopping season.
According to IDC, overall tablet shipments were down more than the analyst firm had expected. The decline to 17.4 million units represented a 38.4% drop off from the holiday quarter shipments of 28.2 million units – a notably steeper decline than IDC’s predicted 34% decline.
While overall tablet shipments were down, Android tablets slumped significantly more than Apple’s iPad, which gained an additional 13.3% of the tablet market.
Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors are expected to feature in Apple's next MacBook Pro.
Intel has reportedly shifted the announcement of its next-generation Ivy Bridge processor from April 29 to April 23 as PC makers gear up to release their second-generation of ultrabooks in May. But you could see it powering Mac OS X before then, with the new chip expected to replace its predecessor, the Sandy Bridge processor, in Apple’s next MacBook Pro and iMac.
![Lenovo’s Absurd 27-Inch Tablet [Image]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/1357606724.jpg)
![Here’s How Insane Apple’s Profits Have Been In 2012 Next To Their Competition [Graph]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/applesprofitiscrazy.jpg "applesprofitiscrazy")
![Intel Brings Ivy Bridge Processor Announcement Forward To April 23 [Rumor]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ivy-bridge-processors-2.jpg "ivy-bridge-processors 2")
