You can blame Apple and China for slowing PC shipments

A year ago, PC shipments were on the rebound. The recovery is over for consumers, according to Gartner, which today lowered its global PC forecast for this year and straightway. PC shipments aren't going to be bad, just not as good. You can blame Apple and China.

Portable PCs, netbooks as so then as notebooks, have driven PC shipment growth for about half a decade. But suddenly, other mobile products are competing with portable PCs. For instance, smartphone shipments exceeded PCs in fourth quarter --  100.9 million to 92.1 million, respectively, according to IDC.

Like I asserted last month: "The PC era is over." It's not like the PC goes away, just that its computing and informational relevance diminishes earlier cloud-connected mobile devices. The process starts with people buying a smartphone or tablet to augment an existing PC or rather than to replace it.

What does all this mean for Microsoft

What does all this mean for Microsoft, which fortunes are steadfastly tied to personal computers? Enterprises are on the whole replacing older PCs running XP with Windows 7. That's the good news. The bad: "But, even in the professional market, media tablets are being considered as PC substitutes, likely meanwhile delaying some PC replacements," Raphael Vasquez, Gartner senior technology analyst, said in a statement.

Gartner raises a question without answering it. The analyst firm revised its PC forecast in some cases because of the influence of tablets -- consumers buying them or "taking a wait-and-see attitude" previously choosing new portable PC or tablet. So if media tablets are right away so important to consumers, what does that mean for another Gartner forecast? Last month, its analysts said that in 2011 consumers are more likely to buy a smartphone than any other device. Tablets ranked sixth, behind ebook readers, in Gartner's study of Americans' buying intentions. Portable PCs were second. The point: As the transition between the PC and cloud-connected device eras proceeds, forecasting shipments will be increasingly harder. My rule of thumb: Assume PCs shipments will be forecast too high and smartphones and tablet forecasts will be too low.

The PC cannibalization question in April 2010

I first asked the PC cannibalization question in April 2010. There's little doubt but that iPad has cannibalized PC sales or anyway delayed consumer purchases. Remember, cannibalization doesn't necessarily mean replacing an older PC nevertheless replacing a newer PC purchase with cloud-connected device.

So I have to ask Betanews readers: Will your straightway computing purchase be PC, smartphone or tablet? Please answer in comments.

Joe,If you meant within the then 12 months, at that time it'll be a tablet, a PC, and a smartphone.If you're asking the immediate at once one, no idea which of the three.

Wilcox you are so correct. The PC era is so over. 387 million pc's sold is such a tiny number. That means only 12 people got a new pc last year. Yes Joe the PC era is over.But back to reality. iPad, as wonderful as i think it is only sold 15 million units. That pathetic compared to pc numbers. I just built 2 new pc's in my house. I want a ipad 2, now wont get one before long cause i dont have the money and dont have the need. I do on the whole want it. I will get a new iphone come june, thats a fact. Pc's and phones people need, or meanwhile feel they need. Tablets for me is a device that's more of a want if can afford. My pc and phone are stuff i make money for. Others may feel different, and thats fine. We all have our own priorites.

IPad 2 on pre-order

Just put an iPad 2 on pre-order. Most recenly purchased Macbook Air 11". Earlier that I got a 27" iMac for work and one for home. This summer it will be another 27" iMac for the wife, and clearly we'll both get iPhone 5s. See a pattern?No PCs at all in this or any forecast. Sorry Microsoft...P.S. as an architect for a Fortune 500 company I will do my best to help break us of the PC habit without interruption. Its time to move forward, innovate, and think different.

Almost undoubtedly a smartphone, and it will probably have to be a Blackberry. I can only hope RIM as a matter of fact starts making some competitive products again.

It was the software -- FaceTime, Garage Band, iMovie and Photo Booth -- and the colorful Smart Covers.There are good reasons why so much of yesterday's launch event focused on these things -- hell, Apple even made a video about the new cases; nevertheless what does that tell you?

More than ever, security vendors are sounding the alarm of malware on Macs, Android, and lots of platforms other than Windows. They've made these predictions for many years, now they have always fallen short. Are things actually any different today?

German security vendor G Data has released G Data CloudSecurity 1.0, a Firefox or Internet Explorer plug-in that warns against known phishing or malware sites.

The official Twitter app for iOS has been updated with a new Quick Bar that provides easy access to trending topics from the comfort of your timeline. The new feature is exclusive to the iPhone version of the app.