Dell, Acer, and Lenovo to Focus on All-In-One PCs in 2011

American market research firm iSuppli recently released some telling statistics on PC usage. An estimated 209 million notebook computers will be sold throughout 2010 – a staggering increase from sales of less than 160 million last year. The analysis and advertising information company believes that, based on current sales trends, notebook and ultra-compact PC sales will increase dramatically in the coming years, hitting a peak of almost 400 million units sold in 2014.

For PC manufacturers, the change in demand represents a consumer base that’s increasingly more interested in education and mobile media. Just under one sixth of current notebook sales are of ultra-compact netbooks – PCs with small screens and downsized keyboards, designed solely for portability.

The world’s biggest PC manufacturers appear to be ready for the shift. Dell, Acer, and other leading manufacturers are increasing production of notebooks and ultra-portable PCs, while at the same time shifting their view of the home computer market. In an effort to phase out standard ‘beige box’ desktop PCs, the major PC manufacturers are increasing production of all-in-one systems.

Sales of all-in-one PCs have steadily increased since they became available, with many home users opting for the more simple and versatile all-in-one arrangement. Spurred on by the success of Apple’s long-lasting iMac all-in-one line, a range of previously tepid PC manufacturers are betting their cash reserves on all-in-one computers growing to become a larger hit.

While Apple’s high-end all-in-one PC line has seen strong sales, particularly from multimedia users and developers, Acer and Lenovo plan to capture the opposite end of the market. Offering large screens and space-saving design, the manufacturers are looking into developing markets as a potential base for growth.

Indian technology research firm IDC has suggested that all-in-one PCs could make up almost 38 percent of the desktop PC market by 2013, cementing their place as the most popular form of home computer. While laptops have rapidly gained market share over the past five years, few users view them as a usable platform for home entertainment or gaming.

Analysts believe that the perception of laptop and ultra-portable PCs as business or learning tools is essential for mass sales of all-in-one home computers. Billed as a media centre and backed up by a large screen – most all-in-one PCs feature LCDs measuring 21” or larger – the all-in-one system could find itself in most homes, even those whose members have already purchased laptops.

Design gurus may be bracing for the fall of the ugly ‘beige box’ PC, but the end still doesn’t appear to be near. Sales of low-end desktop PCs remained high across 2009, a fact which many believe can be attributed to lower household budgets and a greater insistence on inexpensive functional hardware throughout the recession.

The first all-in-one PC – Apple’s iMac G3 – was introduced in 1998. The design was widely copied throughout the late 1990s but quickly fell out of usage, as major PC manufacturers built systems with separate monitors and hardware enclosures.

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