Canalys: Global tablet growth slows to 21% in Q1 2014

Worldwide client PC shipments reached 123.7 million units in the first quarter of 2014, up 5 per cent year on year, according to the latest Canalys research. Growth in tablet shipments slowed to 21 per cent, yet at 50.8 million units they continue to out-ship notebooks. Tablets accounted for 41 per cent of the market, and notebooks 38 per cent. The worldwide decline in notebooks slowed to 7 per cent as Western Europe continued to grow and North America remained flat, partly due to commercial sales improving in both regions. Commercial shipments the world over have been lifted by the end of life of Windows XP, a trend that also influenced desktops, helping shipments to remain flat year on year. Notably, however, notebooks and desktops in China, the world's second largest PC market, declined 13 per cent and 6 per cent respectively compared with the previous year. Report