In 2021, global PC shipments hit a new high in nearly 10 years, can the boom be sustained?

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According to IDC, global personal computer (PC) shipments rose 14.8 percent year-over-year to 349 million units in 2021, the highest since 2012. Just a few years ago, with smartphones becoming the highest-selling product in the electronics industry, tech investors and operators believed the computer industry was in decline, and this recovery is worth watching.

The growing demand for remote work and learning during the pandemic has driven a recovery in the computer industry. Surges in demand led to a shortage of personal computers, especially in the fall, when computer manufacturers were affected by a global chip shortage.

According to IDC data, the six major PC companies in 2021 by shipment are Lenovo (00992), HP (HPQ. US), Dell US), Apple (AAPL. US), ASUS and Acer.

Microsoft (MSFT. US) is another major beneficiary of the PC boom, and the Windows operating system sold by the company is suitable for the vast majority of PCs. While the software giant has shifted its focus to cloud services like Azure in recent years, Windows remains a sizable business, with sales of $5.68 billion in the third quarter, up 10 percent from a year earlier.

Will the PC boom last?

Some market participants warned that after the epidemic subsided, the speed of computer sales would not be sustainable. Last December, for example, IDC said market demand had peaked and predicted that computer sales would slow in 2022.

But some people are still optimistic that PC sales will continue to maintain the current growth momentum.

Intel (INTC. US) CEO Pat Gelsinger said in October that he believes the pc market is on a new, sustainable upward path. Intel is a leading manufacturer of cpuing processors for desktops and notebook computers, with a market share of about 80 percent.

Dell Rahul Tikoo, senior vice president of the US) Customer Product Group, echoed the same sentiment, saying the pandemic has driven a permanent shift in buying behavior because everyone now needs their own personal computer.

"We're going to move from one PC per household to one PC per person, which is similar to the smartphone model," Tikoo said. "I think PCs are in the process of transitioning to this trend."

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