IDC has cut its prediction of PC growth this year from 5% to 0.9% or about 367 million units.
It will be the second consecutive year of growth below 2%. The researcher figures US shipments will drop 3.7%.
Dell last week reported quarterly sales off 14% year-over-year, HP was down 10%.
It remains to be seen if Windows 8 makes a difference. It arrives October 26 to a “more competitive environment” and consumers confused by the new products. Merchants have cut prices – well, they are trying to clear Windows 7 inventory – but IDC says the back-to-school season is pretty much a bust.
Longer term it estimates worldwide shipments (think emerging markets, notebooks and Ultrabooks) will work out to about 6.5% in 2013, 7% in 2014 and 7.1% in 2015.