Windows 8.1 doesn’t seem likely to help sliding PC sales

The upcoming launch of Windows 8.1 isn’t expected to save the sliding PC industry. Loren Loverde of IDC believes that worldwide PC shipments could improve slightly in the second half of the year with the help of back-to-school specials and holiday shopping. The analyst noted that the results from May are “behind pace for achieving the projected 2Q13 growth rates,” however. Despite projecting small improvements for later this year, the firm warned that the market will “likely remain cautious about the second half of 2013.”

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“The expectation for the second quarter was not all that high, showing only minor improvement from the first quarter,” Loverde said. “But the May results reflect deteriorating conditions rather than improvement and the market will probably fall short of projections.” IDC previously estimated that annual PC sales will decline -7.8% in 2013.

This article was originally published on BGR.com