PC机的末世尚未来临|Will the PC really die out? Analysts say not yet
Oh, the good old PC. With the rapid advances made in technology in recent years, is it a good time for these soldiers who have served us so well to retire?
Well, it turns out we still need their services, according to data and analysis from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
权威市场研究机构国际数据资讯（IDC）2017年第一季度报告显示，今年一至三月全球PC机出货量5年来首次出现0.6%的正增长。
The company reported Tuesday that worldwide shipments of traditional personal computers posted year-on-year growth of 0.6 percent in the first three months of this year.
While the previous forecast had expected shipments to decline 1.8 percent in Q1, the new IDC figure represented the first growth in PC shipments since 2012 Q1, when many users still considered PCs as their first computing device.
By "traditional PC" we mean desktops, notebooks, and workstations.
我们常说的台式机、笔记本电脑和工作站均属于传统PC机。Apple's Mac Pro workstation, shown on its Chinese website on April 12, 2017. Apple has recently hinted that it will update the product line. /Apple
"Users have generally delayed PC replacements rather than giving up PCs for other devices," Jay Chou, research manager of IDC PCD Tracker, was quoted as saying in a news release. He continued by explaining that "the commercial market is beginning a replacement cycle that should drive growth throughout the forecast. Consumer demand will remain under pressure, although growth in segments like PC Gaming as well as rising saturation of tablets and smartphones will move the consumer market toward stabilization as well."
IDC研究经理Jay Chou表示，很多用户不是放弃了PC机转而选择其它设备，而是放慢了更新换代的脚步。
Current trends show not only do we still need PCs, but that PCs themselves are evolving to the next level.
Today's PCs are getting more like the convenient tablets which have threatened but failed to overthrow the PC as king. New notebook models like "convertibles" and "detachables" have been in the market for quite a while, featuring screens that can be detached to act as tablets.
The advances in PC technology are clear if you're a Mac user, as your Macbook is one of the few last major PC series that doesn't support touchscreen. That is to say the whole screen, not the new touch bar function at the top of the keyboard on latest models.
On the software side, Microsoft has been trying to help touchscreen PC users enjoy a tablet-like experience. With the Creator's Update coming for Windows 10, it seems likely that the software giant is fulfilling its promises.
With all that said, users used to the convenience of "light" laptops and tablets may still find a PC too heavy and clunky for doing simple tasks.
But the figures speak for themselves - tablets in their current form are not going to kill off the PC.
(Note: This story was written on a PC.)