IHS: All-in-one PCs to outpace traditional desktops
updated 01:07 pm EDT, Wed July 11, 2012
AiO units up 20 percent over last year
All-in-one PCs will drive growth in the desktop sector this year and in years to come, according to IHS. The information and analytics provider's analysis of the industry finds that AiO PC sales are growing quickly, while traditional desktop sales appear to have stagnated. AiO units, in fact, may wind up saving the desktop industry from being driven into obsolescence by competing devices.
According to IHS' numbers, AiO PCs will ship 16.4 million units this year, while traditional desktops will ship 132 million units. While traditional desktop shipments still dwarf AiO shipments, that 132 million units figure represents only a 0.2 percent increase over last year's shipments. AiO PC shipments, by comparison, were up 20 percent over last year.
IHS estimates that AiO shipments will hit 24.8 million units by 2016. That makes for a five-year compound annual growth rate of nearly 13 percent.
The desktop sector is faced with increasing competition from a range of devices. Smartphones, tablets, and notebooks are all chipping away at the space traditionally occupied by a stationary desktop machine. As the computing power found in those devices increases, the AiO form factor allows for the desktop to assume more varied roles than are possible with the traditional configuration. Some AiOs can be mounted on walls and essentially turned into televisions with computer functionality, while others are integrating touch interfaces typically seen on tablets.
The analysis points out that Apple leads the pack among AiO PC manufacturers. The company's iMac line of desktops accounts for 28 percent of the AiO market. Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Sony all trail Apple in that order.
