Australian PC landscape predicted to decline in 2019

The PC landscape in Australia is expected to shrink in 2019 according to research firm Gartner, and it's diminishing faster than the global PC landscape.

Gartner has predicted shipments for desk-based PCs and notebooks in Australia will decline 4.13 per cent in 2019 to 2.58 million device shipments, down from 2,69 million devices shipments in 2018. 

This is trending below the global forecast's decline of 3.53 per cent to 188.4 million device shipments when compared with 2018’s 195.3 million shipments. 

When expanded to include ultramobiles, the declines are less severe, with the entire Australian PC market expected to decline by 1.99 per cent while the entire global PC market is expected to fall by 1.54 per cent this year. 

Both the consumer and business PC markets are also expected to decline, with Gartner predicting the global consumer market to fall by 9.8 per cent by the end of 2019 and business PCs have been predicted to decline by 3.9 per cent in 2020. 

Gartner attributes the less severe decline seen in the business PC market due to Windows 10 migration peaking, coming off the last three years of growth. 

Ranjit Atwal, senior research director at Gartner, said there was no doubt the PC landscape around the world is changing. 

“The consumer PC market requires high-value products that can meet specific consumer tasks, such as gaming,” Atwal said. 

“Likewise, PC vendors are having to cope with uncertainty from potential tariffs and Brexit disruptions. Ultimately, they need to change their business models to one based on annual service income, rather than the peaks and troughs of capital spending.”