As mobile devices become more prevalent, it seems as though desktop PCs are becoming less relevant for many users. In fact, according to the latest research from Gartner and other sources, mobile device sales are set to eclipse PC sales by 2013 at the latest.
Asymco analyst Horace Dediu used data published by Jeremy Reiner, along with mobile device and PC stats from Gartner to produce the following chart, which tracks the last 37 years of personal computers in terms of units shipped:
Judging by this data, it’s plain to see that mobile devices running iOS and Android are selling at a far more rapid rate than either Macs or Windows PCs, and it won’t be long before the “mobile eclipse” is upon us. According to Dediu, Android devices could reach that point by the end of 2012, while iOS devices (and mobile devices in general) will be there sometime in 2013.
So, what does this mean? Does it mean that people just aren’t using PCs as much, or is it that mobile devices are just that much more popular? My thought is that it’s likely some of each.
As mobile devices continue to become more capable, the need for PCs, the “trucks” of the computer world, will decrease for most users. It’s already beginning to happen. And while there will still be plenty of folks that need a full-blown PC for several years to come, it won’t be long before the very idea of the PC as we know it today becomes yet another historical relic.
