Are you replacing your computer?

With the need always to be connected we use computers and computer-like equipment all the time, everywhere. Does this mean we are buying more machines or has the market become saturated? Should we really care?

After a noticeable slump in 2012 and 2013, global sales of small computers of all kinds, desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones (a set referred to as DLTS), are up again in 2014. According to Gartner Inc., the renowned American research company, this year has already seen a 4.2 per cent increase compared to last year. The decline was some 9 per cent in 2013.

In Jordan for example, it is estimated that more than 2.5 million smartphones are in use. This is an impressive figure by any measure, especially when taking into consideration the fact that the country’s near 8 million population is very young, with a demography pyramid that shows about one third of the population under 20, therefore unlikely (in theory…) to own a smartphone.

The average useful lifetime of a desktop or laptop computer is five years. That of tablets is three and that of smartphones is two. Smartphones actually could be kept and used for three of four years but because of their inherent nature and their size they are particularly prone to accidents and failures, and are sometimes replaced just because of that.

So, apart from having broken the device, and assuming you already own the entire DLTS set, why would you want to change any or all of your computers?

In random order, the reasons are fashion (yes, it counts…), introduction of a new operating system, machines that are getting too old and too slow, and last but not least new functionality and features introduced by the manufacturers. None of these four reasons can be neglected or ignored; they all are perfectly valid and play a role in the buying decision-making process. It is just that the importance, the weight of the reason for change varies with time, from one year to another.

When Microsoft, Google or Apple release a new operating system, this triggers an urge to replace the machine. When Samsung designs a new smartphone, we crave it. When the telecoms decide to move from 3G to 4G we need a device that is compatible and can use the new technology efficiently. When Nokia puts a stunning camera in their new device we can’t help but dream of it. When Sony says 4k screen resolution is an absolute must to have, we start shopping for a machine that can match it.

Changes were mild in 2012 and 2013 and probably caused the market to slowdown. Now 4G networking, high-resolution cameras in mobile devices and a more global acceptance of Microsoft’s Windows 8, combined with the company’s decision to discontinue support for Windows XP, not forgetting Sony’s strong push for 4k screen resolution, all these are elements that are probably helping the market to go up again.

Sony’s 4k, among other high-tech features, has been particularly boosted by all the advertising it got and is still getting with the amazing video coverage of the football World Cup this year.

The World Cup alone has contributed to improve sales of high-end laptops, since part of the population has decided to watch the games not directly on satellite TV but on laptops computers connected to the Internet, though eventually the laptop would still be connected to a large screen via HDMI cable.

Good sales of DLTSs are important for they allow the industry to continue innovating and improving the products. In the end the consumer has everything to win here.