The age of the desktop computer appears to be over as its more portable cousin, the laptop, surges ahead with consumers clamouring for lightweight computers in funky designs for use at home, in cafés and on the train to work.
Not a single desktop model figured on online shopping portal Amazon.com's top 10 selling PC and hardware list the weekend before Christmas, while seven laptop models made the list.
It was yet another sign that the former dominance of desktop PCs is fading as wireless advances and lower prices make laptops the preferred option for millions of PC users around the world.
Competitive price
"On both price and performance, laptops are so competitive it's surprising they weren't able to catch up with desktops earlier," said iSuppli analyst Peter Lin.
"The ability to surf the internet wirelessly at public places, the need to be able to take your office out with you when you travel, and an increasing range of notebook computers have all led to lower desktop sales," he added.
Laptops posted a milestone in the third quarter of 2008, passing desktop PC sales for the first time, according to the research group iSuppli.
With an entry-level price of $300 (Dh1,100) for some models, laptops should bolster their position in 2009. They are forecast to take up about 55 per cent of all computer shipments, according to data-tracking firm IDC.
Most firms awaiting the era of the laptop are in Taiwan, maker of 80 per cent of the world's laptops. They include the world's top contract manufacturers, Quanta and Compal Electronics, and two aggressive brands, Acer and Asustek.
