Notebook, desktop tug of war
Although desktop computers still make up 75% of the corporate PC market, that market is stagnant, according to Simon Yates, principal analyst at Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Forrester Research.
Yates says although the desktop PC is leading the market the corporate notebook market is growing, reports Tech Target.
"Notebook prices have fallen a lot over the last few years," Yates said. Traditionally the people who got notebooks were business travellers, but within the last couple years companies have tried to create a more flexible working environment even for the more office-based people."
PCs won`t manage Vista
About half of corporate PCs aren`t equipped to run all the features of Windows Vista, according to research firm Gartner.
Desktops or notebooks with less than half of their useful life left when Microsoft ships Vista shouldn`t be upgraded, since the cost would exceed replacing it with a new Vista-enabled machine at the end of the older computer`s life cycle.
Gartner advises companies to replace notebooks every three years and desktops every four years, reports Information Week.
Dell reduces dual-core notebook prices
Dell slashed prices on its Inspiron E1705 and Latitude D620 notebooks to $999 and $899 respectively, which effectively pushes laptops with dual-core processors into the mainstream market, reports Xbit labs.
With Dell first to cut its prices for dual-core notebooks, more dual-core models priced at below $1 000 will be available from such vendors as HP and Acer in May, according to market sources cited by a report by Commercial Times newspaper.
Smaller desktops will dominate
Deskbound PCs that are smaller and quieter than today`s minitowers will take over the market as the decade draws on, IDC predicts.
The minitower, the most common type of desktop PC seen today, is a dying breed, researchers say.
PC Mag reports after several fits and starts in the past, the minitower is expected to cede its most favoured status to small PCs during this decade, based on changes in technology as well as buyers` tastes as the PC market matures.
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