Things may not be as bad for the PC market as we feared

It’s no secret that the rise of mobile devices has taken quite a toll on the PC market, so much so that many wondered if the PC was dying. However, a while sales numbers seemed to indicate as much in recent year, a new report from Gartner suggests that the PC market is actually enjoying an increase in sales, albeit a small one, while tablets seem to be losing their luster. 

Over the past two years, the growing popularity of mobile devices has eaten into PC sales. A new report by Gartner, however, shows that shipments may continue to enjoy a very slow but steady uptick this year as tablet sales hit a peak. The research firm found that worldwide PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2014 grew one percent year-over-year, the first increase since 2012. Shipment volumes growth, however, differed dramatically from region to region. For example, in the U.S., PC shipments in 4Q2014 increased 13.1 percent year-over-year, the fastest increase in four years, thanks to holiday purchases. Inexpensive laptops (about $200 to $300), thin and light notebooks, and laptops with a detachable screen helped drive growth.