平板電腦市場擴大，個人電腦世界發貨量減少

A technology research group says worldwide shipments of personal computers continue to decline as tablets replace the PC as many people's primary computing device.

The U.S.-based Gartner group says worldwide PC shipments dropped nearly 11 percent in the second quarter of 2013 from the same period last year. It said this is the fifth straight quarter of declining shipments - the longest in the PC market's history.

The report said that consumers worldwide are instead purchasing more affordable tablet devices. In emerging markets, it said inexpensive tablets have now become the first computing device for many.

The devices became popular following the release of Apple's iPad in 2010. Tablet prices have since tumbled, amid heated competition from manufacturers who have flooded the market with cheaper alternatives.一家技術研究機構說，全球範圍個人電腦銷售繼續下降，而平板電腦取代個人電腦，成爲許多人的主要電腦裝置。

美國高德納諮詢公司說，2013年第二季度的全球個人電腦出貨量同比下降百分之11。該公司說，這已是個人電腦出貨量連續第五個季度下滑，也是個人電腦市場歷史上出貨量持續下降歷時最長的一次。

報告說，全球消費者正轉而購買價格較爲便宜的平板電腦；而在新興市場的國家和地區，價格昂貴的平板電腦已經成爲許多人的首選電腦裝置。

蘋果公司2010年推出iPad之後，平板電腦開始受到人們的喜愛。此後，各製造商紛紛推出價格更低的平板電腦，使其價格一路下跌。