The PC Market Has Shrunk By 10% Because People Don't Want New Ones

When 2013 officially comes to a close, PC makers will have sold 10.1% fewer PCs this year than they did in 2012 - the worst year on record, according to a new report by IDC.

The market research firm had previously predicted the PC market would contract by 9.7%.

And IDC believes it won't hit rock bottom 2014, either, but will shrink by another 3.8%.

Total 2013 shipments will wind up being about 314 million, "barely ahead of 2008 volumes," IDC says.

Why? People just aren't getting rid of their old PCs.

"Perhaps the chief concern for future PC demand is a lack of reasons to replace an older system," said Jay Chou, Senior Research Analyst, Worldwide Quarterly PC Trackers at IDC. "While IDC research finds that the PC still remains the primary computing device - for example, PCs are used more hours per day than tablets or phones - PC usage is nonetheless declining each year as more devices become available."

If there is a bright spot, it's Windows 2-in-1 convertibles, devices that work like a PC and a tablet. Sales of those devices are expected to grow to 39.3 million units in 2017 from less than 7.5 million in 2013.