14 DAY TRIAL // Until a short while ago, notebook makers and brand vendors believed that the coming of Haswell CPUs and Microsoft's Windows 8.1 OS would lead to a new wave of PC acquisitions.
After all, existing notebooks were supposed to have reached the end of their so-called life cycles.
June is half over now, however, and the state of notebook orders placed with manufacturers has painted a different picture.
Long story short, notebook vendors and ODMs have turned conservative, since order visibility is shorter than originally expected.
Instead of 40:60 or 45:55, the shipment ratio for the first and second half of the year will be closer to 50:50, maybe tipped even further to the left.
Things may change in the fourth quarter, but even an upsurge, as unlikely as it may be, won't change things overmuch.