Analyst firm says that many buyers decided to wait for the new OS

Nov 9, 2013 14:56 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft officially launched the new Windows 8.1 in October and although the new OS was supposed to be a breath of fresh air for the declining PC market, it turns out that it indirectly made it perform worse.

Research firm Gartner revealed that sales in the third quarter of 2013 recorded a drop of 28.1 percent in the United Kingdom, with the wait for Windows 8.1 cited as one of the main reasons.

“Most PC vendors have shifted their investment from consumer PCs to tablets and hybrid form factors,” Gartner principal analyst Meike Escherich said.

“The challenge they face is to protect their current PC market positions while competing in an aggressive and fast-moving alternative mobile device market. Without a solid position in the professional PC market, they will find it challenging to defend their positions and invest in non-PC devices.”

The PC market in Germany fell 14.4 percent, while France experienced a decline of 10.4 percent, according to figures provided by Gartner.

Windows 8.1, on the other hand, is supposed to lend a hand to the PC market now that it’s alive and kicking, promising to tackle the needs of desktop users a little bit better with more tools and options to skip Metro.