14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 will launch in the second half of 2015, and everyone expects the new operating system not only to help Microsoft bring more users back on its platform but also to contribute to better PC sales, as customer appeal of new computers would grow significantly.
But analyst firm IDC is not at all that optimistic and says that, despite the arrival of Windows 10, new PC sales are still expected to decline this year.
In fact, IDC has recently lowered its forecast of this year's new PC sales, claiming that this market is expected to fall by 4.9 percent in 2015, despite the initial estimate of a 3.3 percent decline.
“Economic and product changes will create a head wind in the short term,” IDC states in a press release today, so in 2015, only 293.1 million PCs will be sold.
Windows 10 to slightly increase sales
New PC shipments will remain moderate throughout the year, but in late 2015, the arrival of Windows 10 is expected to somewhat lead to a small increase.
“More significant product refreshes from the likes of Intel (Skylake platform) and Microsoft (Windows 10) will be released later in the year, shifting OEM product updates and consumer interest toward later in 2015,” IDC says.
Up until now, the PC market has posted a small increase, partially thanks to more companies replacing their Windows XP systems, but also because of Windows 8.1 with Bing, an operating system that's offered either free of charge or with a very low license cost to manufacturers, with the purpose of cutting down the final price of their devices.
IDC says that the only good news for PC makers is that demand for tablets and other portable devices has dropped recently and is expected to continue going down in the upcoming months.
The debut of Windows 10, it says, is very likely to increase demand for PCs with a mouse and keyboard, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everything will be just perfect. In mature regions, for example, which are actually strong markets such as the United States, PC sales are expected to drop by 5.1 percent this year, despite the arrival of Windows 10.