As Tablets Decline, Notebooks Will Drive Growth in Computing Devices

Computing devices are seeing slower-than-expected growth this year, owing largely to shortages caused by the public policy response to the pandemic. Nevertheless, overall growth in 2021 will be positive, according to a new report. However, that growth will continue to slow through 2025, with tablets actually going seeing negative growth. Education is one of the positive drivers.

According to market research firm IDC, 2021 will see the highest annual year-over-year growth for the next five years for computing devices worldwide. Traditional PCs (notebooks, desktops and workstations) will grow 14.2% in 2021 to 347 million units. (That's down from a previous forecast of 18%.) Tablets will grow just 3.4%.

After 2021, tablets will enter a period of decline, with the steepest decline expected in 2022 and more modest decline through 2025. Desktops will also enter a period of decline starting in 2021 and continuing through 2025. Compound annual growth (CAGR) for tablets from 2021 to 2025 is expected to be –1.5%. For traditional PCs, including desktops, notebooks and workstations, CAGR will be 3.4%.

"We continue to believe the PC and tablet markets are supply constrained and that demand is still there," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, in prepared statement. "The lengthening of the supply shortages combined with ongoing logistical issues are presenting the industry with some big challenges. However, we believe the vast majority of PC demand is non-perishable, especially from the business and education sectors."

Further details can be found in IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • tutors helping young students with laptops against a vibrant abstract background

    K12 Tutoring Earns ESSA Level II Validation

    Online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring's role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • elementary school boy using a laptop with a glowing digital brain above his head and circuit lines extending outward

    The Brain Drain: How Overreliance on AI May Erode Creativity and Critical Thinking

    Just as sedentary lifestyles have reshaped our physical health, our dependence on AI, algorithms, and digital tools is reshaping how we think, and the effects aren't always positive.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.