FRAMINGHAM, MA – Global shipments of personal computing devices (PCDs) are expected to decline 3.5% year-over-year in 2018, says the International Data Corp. Looking ahead, PCDs are expected to drop at a five-year CAGR down 1.8%.

PCDs are composed of traditional PCs (desktop, notebook, and workstation) and tablets (slate and detachable).

Convertible and ultraslim notebooks, as well as detachable tablets, continue to be bright spots in a challenging market, says IDC.  All three product categories are expected to grow year-over-year throughout the forecast.

"Overall the challenges for traditional PCs and tablets remain the same as in past years," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers. "However, we continue to see pockets of opportunity and growth when you peel back the onion. With notebook PCs it's clear marketing and development resources are being poured into premium/gaming, convertibles, and thin and light devices. All OEMs, some of which are new to the space, seem to be laser-focused on these areas. Detachable tablets are another area that has seen growth. However, it currently feels like the trends around notebook growth opportunities have overshadowed detachable developments."

Slate tablets, which peaked as a market segment in 2014 and have been in decline since, are expected to contract over the five-year forecast, with a CAGR down 6.2%. The overall decline has improved, but the category remains challenged by consumers spending more time on smartphones, as well as having lifecycles that are more in line with traditional PCs, says the research firm.

Desktop PCs are expected to see a five-year CAGR decline of 2.6%. Commercial demand remains stronger than consumer, but given the saturation of that market segment, it isn't expected to grow at any point during the forecast. On the consumer side, gaming has provided some hope for desktops, although many gamers are still doing manual upgrades or moving toward gaming notebooks. Both continue to pose challenges.

"Despite the continuous decline of desktops, it's clear that not all are created alike, as the growing demand for gaming PCs is bringing with it plenty of changes to the design and form factor of desktops, while opening up opportunities for brands," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst with IDC's Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. "Consumers are increasingly valuing small and ultrasmall form factor desktops, along with smaller components like low-profile graphics cards. Combine that with the progressively diverse base of gamers, and it translates to a shift in gaming PCs from the gargantuan, RGB-lit towers of yesteryear to smaller, sleeker, and subtler boxes in the future."

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