[Responsibility2nd]

PC shipments collapsed in the last quarter by almost 14 percent, analysts with IDC said last week, marking the biggest drop in sales since the firm started tracking them 19 years ago. The problem, said ZDNet’s well respected Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols, isn’t the designs from the likes of HP and Dell or the size of consumer’s wallets. It’s Microsoft.

Ummmm. No.

While I would happily jump on the "I hate Microsoft" bandwagon - it's pretty obvious the reason PC shipments have collapsed has nothing to do with Microsoft.

Try blaming laptops, smart phones and tablets. Especially tablets.

[I cannot think of a name]

“Try blaming laptops, smart phones and tablets. Especially tablets.”

Try blaming the fact that the current sales reflect the number of people that actually WORK at a computer. If you spend your day with Word, Excel, and Project open, you are probably going to want a desktop and two large screens (like the one I'm typing this on).

On the other hand, if most of your computer use is fundamentally PLAY, why not go to a tablet or even a smart phone. Nobody needs two 23” monitors to check what some imbecile celebrity just tweeted.

[CommieCutter]

Try blaming laptops, smart phones and tablets. Especially tablets.

Wait a second, are you saying this 14% drop is only counting desktops?

If that's the case then this is an overcooked goose of a story.

[RegulatorCountry]

Try blaming laptops, smart phones and tablets. Especially tablets.

Microsoft has a phone, such as it is.

Thought they had a tablet, too, or did I dream that weird scene with the cast of Glee doing some weird en masse synchronized thing while clicking keyboards, lol?

[adorno]

Try blaming laptops, smart phones and tablets.

Try also blaming the economy, where most people nowadays don't need to upgrade when what they already have works quite well, and won't be too quick to upgrade to something that will set them back some $700+; in a rotten economy, people will buy the cheaper options, and will keep using what still works quite well.

[killermosquito]

Don’t forget an economy that continues to shrink. If there is no one in the cubicles they don’t need computers.