PC shipments fall a record 10.6% in fourth quarter: IDC

A shop attendant sits in front of a wall of laptops at a computer mall in Taipei in this August 31, 2011 file photo. Taiwan is expected to release inflation numbers this week. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang/Files GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE - SEARCH 'BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD DECEMBER 7' FOR ALL IMAGES

SAN FRANCISCO: Global personal computer shipments fell 10.6% in the quarter ended in December compared to a year earlier, research firm IDC said on Jan 12, the largest decline since IDC started tracking PC shipments.

Longer lifecycles for PCs, along with competition from mobile phones and tablets, have continued to hobble demand, IDC said. — Reuters