There was a lot of talk at this week’s CNN Tea Party Debate about creating jobs but not a lot about increasing global competitiveness. I thought about that when I read this report about the U.S. losing a lock on the #1 position in the world computer market. As the LA Times reports:
China passed the U.S. as the largest market for personal computers in the second quarter, according to new data from a research group. The shift marks the first time that China has passed the U.S. as the top consumer of PCs. PC shipments in China hit 18.5 million units worth about $11.9 billion in the April-through-June quarter, which edged out U.S. shipments of 17.7 million units worth about $11.7 billion, according to International Data Corp.’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker study. China accounted for 22% of the world’s PC market in terms of shipments, while the U.S. took up a 21% share, the International Data said in a report. In the U.S. PC sales fell 11% in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to IDC data, marking the nation’s largest drop in nearly a decade.
This transition no doubt reflects the rise of the post-PC era in the U.S. as American consumers shift to tablets and cloud computing. It remains to be seen if the U.S. can secure dominance in this new market and maintain its traditional role as market leader. I wonder what the Tea Partiers will think of that?
Image Credit: The LA Times
