Toshiba On The Outer As Six Brands Dominate PC Market

The world’s top-six notebook vendors, Hewlett-Packard (HP),
Lenovo, Dell, Apple, Acer and Asustek Computer, will together occupy 81.7% of
global notebook shipments in 2015, according to Digitimes Research.

Missing from the line-up is Toshiba who is currently pulling
out of 19 consumer PC markets around the world. In Australia Toshiba is believed
to be on notice that if their consumer PC sales do not improve another review
could take place in 2015 that could see them exit the Australian consumer PC
market.

Lenovo is expected to continue adopting an aggressive
strategy to maintain its leading market position, while Acer is rolling out new
PC’s in an effort to challenge for an improved position in the market.

Yesterday Acer released a new tablet, the Aspire Switch 12
that is five devices in one, it challenges the new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro.

The Acer Switch 12 works as a tablet and a laptop, users can
unclip the keyboard and use it as an all-in-one desktop PC.

The Windows machine features a 1080p screen, Core M
processor, 60GB or 120GB of solid-state storage, micro-HDMI out, and micro-USB
3.0 for peripherals. It will be available in Australia next year.

Acer has also released a new notebook with a 4K resolution
displays. The new Ultra HD version of the Aspire V Black Edition has a
15.6-inch screen with a 3,840×2,160-pixel resolution, paired with a high-end
CPU and a discrete graphics card for serious PC gaming.

Lenovo sells a very similar system, the Y50, and like the
Aspire V, it’s available in both 1080p and 4K versions.

Asus who is set to be challenged by the emergence of Lenovo
in the Australian PC market is set to 
try and generate more revenues by ramping up shipments of low-priced
models.

HP, Dell and Apple will see their combined shipments decline
slightly in 2015 as the buying activities triggered by the expiration of
Windows XP and Sony’s phasing out from the notebook market will dwindle.
However, the three vendors will take a combined 40% share.

Facing the mature notebook market, product differentiation
among brand vendors will become more vivid in 2015, with Apple likely having
drastic changes, Digitimes Research asserted.

Asustek and Acer are expected to focus on models using
Microsoft’s Windows.