Industry-wide notebook shipments will continue to decline in 2014, claims NPD DisplaySearch. Revised estimates predict shipments from all vendors, including Apple, will reach 134 million units, down from an earlier estimate of 152 million unit.

macbook-air

One factor contributing to this decline is the expected Q3 2014 launch of Intel's upcoming Broadwell CPU. Intel confirmed in its latest earnings conference call that its Broadwell chipset will enter production in Q1 2014 and become available in the second half of 2014. Slowing PC demand and yield issues forced Intel to delay Broadwell by at least a quarter from its original timetable, with that delay likely contributing further weakness in the PC market. Intel's Haswell processor line, the company's current CPU family and predecessor to Broadwell, was released in June 2013 and landed in the MacBook Air during the same month.

DisplaySearch also cites the rumored 12.9-inch iPad, wearables and the convergence of mobile and desktop operating systems as market forces that could shift consumers away from notebook PCs.

At the same time, the expected launch of a 12.9” iPad from Apple could trigger growth in larger tablet PC screen sizes, leading to even more competition for potential notebook PC buyers. In addition, wearable devices and other new concepts are expected to compete for consumer spending during the holiday season and beyond. Finally, the trend toward user-interface fusion and operating-system integration will offer a more seamless working platform between mobile devices and PCs, which would further extend mobile device advantages for businesses.

Despite a declining market, Mac sales in the just-ending quarter were strong, increasing from 4.06 million units in Q1 2013 to 4.8 million in Q1 2014. Mac net sales accounted for 11% of the company's revenue for the quarter, up slightly from 10% a year ago.

Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad

Top Rated Comments

pgiguere1 Avatar
126 months ago
DisplaySearch also cites [...] wearables [...] could shift consumers away from notebook PCs.
Really?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RoelJuun Avatar
126 months ago
In the meantime, give the Mac Mini some Haswell love Apple!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nuckinfutz Avatar
126 months ago
Where's my 17" MBP?

Buried next to Apple Lisa in Utah I suppose. :p
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jayayess1190 Avatar
126 months ago
What is coming next, Broadwell or a Haswell refresh? I've heard both, and it's a bit confusing. Hope this doesn't affect possible laptop refreshes at WWDC.

Haswell refresh for desktops and Broadwell for mobile. Though there are also newer mobile Haswell processors with minor spec bumps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WallToWallMacs Avatar
126 months ago
Really?
Mate, don't be surprised; the Samsung Galaxy Gear has been a monumental failure (they're practically giving it away at this point with phones etc) yet we have moronic analysts claiming that it is the 'future trend'. Honestly, it as though such people create hype about something just so they can manipulate companies and consumers to get interested in something that isn't demanded but it'll allow these muppets to make a quick buck. These analysts are looking for the next big thing but they ignore the fact that the next big thing relies on infrastructure such as high speed broadband being available at a low price and accessible to the vast majority of citizens to allow the next wave of content delivery to occur.

Let me make a prediction: Desktops, Workstations and Laptops will all co-exist with tablets and smartphones as they're complimentary products rather than replacing - the sales are declining not because people are moving on mass to new devices but because the upgrade cycles are longer and when there are examples of replacement it is a cheap laptop being replaced with a tablet thus Apple gains either way - gain on the tablet and gain then gain on the computer sale.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
126 months ago
A reason the new chipset could be delayed is because Intel still needs to monetize the current chipset, and with worldwide PC demand slowing, it's taking longer for intel to do that. It isn't like any other PC CPU manufacturers are holding intel's feet to the fire.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
Apple WWDC23 macOS Sonoma hero

macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

Sunday September 24, 2023 12:45 pm PDT by
Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below. In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new. Desktop Widgets macOS Sonoma...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 to Include an Additional Capacitive 'Capture' Button

Monday September 25, 2023 12:50 pm PDT by
The iPhone 16 series is expected to gain an additional capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture Button." Codenamed "Project Nova," the button is likely to be one of the main selling points of the iPhone 16 lineup, assuming it gets past the initial testing phase. The Capture Button is located on the same side as the Power button, only positioned slightly lower - where the mmWave cutout...
ipad mini blue

Apple to Launch iPad Mini 7 Later This Year, Industry Report Suggests

Monday September 25, 2023 3:16 am PDT by
Apple could be preparing to release a seventh-generation iPad mini before the end of the year, based on a new report by DigiTimes. In an article discussing stagnating global tablet demand in the second half of 2023, the Taiwan-based outlet forecasts an uptick in Apple's share of the market owing to orders for a "small-size" iPad in the fourth quarter. From the report (see bold): In the...
macos sonoma 4

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma With New Widget Features, Safari Updates, Screen Sharing Improvements and More

Tuesday September 26, 2023 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS 14 Sonoma, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS Sonoma has been in beta testing for several months, and it is compatible with the 2019 and later iMac, the iMac Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, the 2018 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, and the Mac Studio. The ‌macOS Sonoma update can be downloaded for free on...