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The Way Forward for PC, Tablet Markets
May 13, 2013 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The market for PCs and tablets has gotten much attention in recent weeks. Market intelligence firms Gartner and IDC say that PC shipments plummeted at about double the expected rate of decline during the first quarter of 2013. Tablet sales rose more than 140% in the same period, but an industry CEO predicted that tablet sales would be declining rapidly by 2018.
Turmoil in the marketplace was quantified when Gartner said PC shipments tumbled to the same level as 2009, with 79 million PCs shipping during the first three months of 2013. During the same period, IDC said that tablet sales soared by triple digits, hitting 49 million shipped in the same quarter.
While those trends seem to predict the eventual dominance of tablets, Blackberry CEO Thorsten Heins predicted that, “In five years I don't think there'll be a reason to have a tablet anymore.” Instead, smart phones can connect to a new style of PC, the all-in-one (AIO) or possibly to an intelligent TV or another terminal.
These market trends will drive many technical developments in the coming years. Volumes will fuel development for the microprocessors that power different device classes, and form factors will help determine the future of packaging technologies.
Intel, Microsoft, and Lenovo are among the companies spearheading this technology transition. Leading technology experts from each will be keynote speakers at the upcoming IPC Electronic System Technologies Conference and Exhibition (IPC ESTC), May 20-23, 2013 at the New Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Zane Ball, vice president, architecture group and general manager, PC client group at Intel, will discuss PC market trends and their impact on technology. AIOs will play a major role in this trend, providing a compact, cable-free display that can perform the many tasks that PCs handle. He’ll also detail an emerging version of AOIs--large, tablet-like computers with built-in batteries so they can be moved from room to room and laid flat on a table, allowing multiple people to use the touch interface.
"Imagine a group of friends playing electronic versions of traditional board games or building a photo album or scrapbook together," Ball said.
Lenovo, which fared well in PCs while others saw declines, is pushing AOI technology with one of these adaptive systems. A new 27-inch IdeaCentre Horizon desktop can double as a tabletop PC, letting users interact using the touch screen.
Dr. Tin-Lup Wong, distinguished engineer and executive director of product group technology at Lenovo, will describe the packaging and manufacturing challenges that come with ultraslim devices and AIOs. As devices get thinner, the tolerances for planarity of circuit boards, connector integrity, mechanical fit and finish and cable routing become more difficult to meet.
While design and manufacturing teams grapple with these technical challenges, they must also be aware of changes in the marketplace. As the iPad proved, a novel idea can alter the market in just a couple years.
Raj Master, general manager of IC packaging, SiOps, quality, and reliability at Microsoft, will explain how design for anything (DfX) will help developers respond to rapid changes in the market, technology, or packaging. DfX includes design for manufacturability, assembly, test, quality, and reliability, among others, that are critical to successful product delivery. He will also examine the links between hardware and software as part of a talk that will help companies develop products that bring innovation to their field.
These keynotes will be augmented by additional keynotes, technical conference sessions, professional development courses and an exhibition.