Desktop computers wane in popularity against laptops

Desktop computers are losing ground to laptops and multifunctional tablets in Jordan, according to computer vendors. Demand for desktop computers has plunged by about 70 per cent over the past five years while prices of such devices witnessed a 50 per cent drop on low demand, they said. Laptops lead among all computers sold in Jordan, followed by tablets and then desktops, according to several salesmen at computer shops, who said they expect demand for desktop computers to continue to decline in the next few years as more functions are enabled on tablets. "Nowadays, we are witnessing a rising demand on laptops. People prefer to buy laptops as they can use them everywhere, unlike desktops," Ahmad Manasrah, sales manager at PC Stores, told The Jordan Times. "Some companies are still using desktops, but many are getting laptops for their employees at work. Demand for desktops is dropping across the world," he noted. PC shipments (desktops and notebooks) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) continued to contract in the fourth quarter of 2011 as sustained weakness in consumer demand and a slowdown in the commercial segment led to a decline of 6.5 per cent in overall PC shipments compared with the same quarter in 2010, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Total PC shipments in the EMEA region reached 103 million units last year — a 7 per cent decline compared with 2010, the IDC said in a recent report posted on its website. Consumer spending for PCs has also been increasingly competing with other devices, particularly media tablets, which continued to enjoy strong demand until the end of 2011, amid lacklustre demand for PCs, the IDC report said. In terms of vendors, HP ranked first in the region, followed by Acer, Dell, ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba. Demand for tablets is on the rise in Jordan and these devices are expected to be used by Jordanians more than laptops in the future if their prices drop, computer salesmen said. "People are eager to buy tablets but they are more expensive than laptops. Therefore, there is a huge demand for laptops as their prices are reasonable. But buyers of desktop computers are on the decline," Mustafa Khalil, a PC Zone employee, told The Jordan Times. Prices of tablets range from JD500 to over JD1,000, while desktops with "high specification" can be purchased for about JD300 and prices of laptops start from JD350 in the local market. "Not everyone can afford a tablet as the price is still high compared with a laptop," Manasrah noted. Khalil agreed, saying prices of laptops are "more reasonable". "People who have laptops can use them anywhere: at cafés, restaurants and public parks. Internet connectivity is easier nowadays and is almost everywhere, which motivates people to have mobile computers, not desktops," he said. Hadeel Mohammad, a third-year IT university student, said she prefers to use a laptop although she has a desktop at home. "I always carry my laptop with me. I take it to university, to the café, and to my friend's house... it is more convenient than a desktop. I have mobile Internet as well, so I use the Internet wherever I am," she told The Jordan Times. "I use the desktop at home if I want to play online games because it is more comfortable to play games on a desktop, but I’ve had it for more than 10 years and I rarely use it," Mohammad said.