Microsoft Obsolete By 2017 Says Gartner Report

Will giant Microsoft be obsolete by 2017? According to a recent report from Gartner, a technology research and advisory firm, Microsoft could be out of date by 2017 as competitors will dominate the market. Shipments of devices using Google’s Android operating system will put to shame shipments of Windows PCs and phones. Shipments of Apple iPhones and iPads will be almost at parity with devices powered by Microsoft.

Worldwide devices (the combined shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones) are on pace to total 2.4 billion units in 2013, a 9 percent increase from 2012, according to Gartner, Inc. Device shipments are forecast to continue to grow, reaching more than 2.9 billion units in 2017, but the mix of these devices will significantly change over the forecast period.

The proliferation of lower-priced tablets and their growing capability is accelerating the shift from PCs to tablets. “While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis.”

As a result, the traditional PC market of notebooks and desk-based units is expected to decline 7.6 percent in 2013 (see Table 1). This is not a temporary trend induced by a more austere economic environment; it is a reflection of a long-term change in user behavior. Beginning in 2013, ultramobiles will help offset this decline, so that sales of traditional PCs and ultramobiles combined show a 3.5 percent decline in 2013.

Here are some numbers:
Gartner1

Worldwide Devices Shipments by Operating System (Thousands of Units)
data

Will Microsoft be obsolete by 2017?

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