PCs, it turns out, are back in fashion. Forget bell-bottom jeans, vinyl records, or even yesterday’s Wordle streak — in the first quarter of 2025, it’s desktop towers and laptops that are crashing through the charts, with PC shipments climbing a robust 6.7% year-over-year. Hardware vendors from Lenovo to Dell are quietly popping the champagne… or perhaps cautiously sipping it, given all the other storm clouds on the horizon.
In the ruthlessly competitive PC jungle, Lenovo remains alpha. Its shipments jumped by a hearty 11% year-over-year, outmuscling rivals and solidifying its spot at the summit with a 25% global share. Not to be left out, HP clawed out 6% YoY growth, while Dell muscled in with 4%. Apple, the perennial wildcard, slipped ahead to a double-digit market share — 10% — forever proving that even in a world awash with PC choices, style (and MacBooks) still matter.
Sure, those are objective stats, but let’s not kid ourselves: this is as much about timing as triumph. Throw an end-of-support fire drill for Windows 10 and add a pinch of tariff-fueled market chaos, and suddenly every idle laptop starts looking like an endangered species. OEMs are scrambling to stock the shelves, crowing “Upgrade or perish!” while clever IT teams sigh and brace for budget battles ahead.
But let’s zoom out. HP, Dell, Lenovo: these aren’t just big names, they’re seasoned survivors. The recent growth isn’t just a stroke of good fortune — it reflects years spent streamlining supply chains, bracing for supply and demand swings, and (let’s face it) sticking stubbornly to the tried-and-tested “sell more boxes” formula in a world obsessed with cloud, mobile, and disposable gadgets.
Windows 11 isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for everyone, either. With strict hardware requirements that leave older systems on the curb, many users face a harsh choice: upgrade or run the digital equivalent of a rusting sedan in a cyberpunk city. Modern features, especially those reliant on AI, demand specs beyond what a typical 2017 Dell Inspiron can muster.
For IT managers, this means frantic spreadsheet audits, late-night patching sessions, and a growing suspicion that “planned obsolescence” is more feature than flaw. OEMs are counting on this mass migration, banking on millions to replace serviceable (if unfashionable) hardware rather than risk running unsupported — and increasingly vulnerable — systems.
It’s the Y2K scare all over again, minus the feverish doomsday prepping. If you’re in IT procurement, though, the only thing scarier than a virus outbreak is the price tag on those hundreds of shiny new laptops your users absolutely “must have” before October.
But here’s the kicker: most of this new silicon muscle is twiddling its digital thumbs, waiting for software to catch up. Current AI features are notoriously selective about hardware—the best experiences require dedicated NPUs (neural processing units), which, surprise, surprise, are mostly found on the very machines OEMs want you to buy.
In other words, you’ll need the “real” Windows 11 experience (complete with the latest AI flourishes) on the latest platforms. That six-year-old HP EliteBook collecting dust? It’ll run the basics, but any dreams of local Copilot magic or live translation will have to wait for your next hardware refresh — which happens to be right when those same OEMs are desperately pushing their 2025 inventory.
Let’s face it: in tech, timing is everything. OEMs are deftly parlaying both the Windows 10 EOL and AI hype cycle into a sales bonanza. If you thought Microsoft's hardware partners weren’t master tacticians, think again.
Like a game of international whack-a-mole, tariffs rise, fall, and then shift sideways. At one point, OEMs like Razer hit pause on U.S. laptop sales entirely, fearing losses would outweigh even sky-high list prices. Framework, the darlings of DIY modular laptops, stopped selling certain models because they simply couldn’t make the numbers work.
Gaming handhelds, a bright spot in the PC ecosystem, got hammered by price hikes, with models like the Legion Go S and MSI Claw suddenly less affordable to all but the most committed collectors. For enterprises, that means hardware budgeting just became a maddening exercise in “wait-and-see” — because nothing frays the C-suite’s nerves like watching tariffs flip the projected price of a standard work laptop from $900 to, say, $1,500 in a matter of weeks.
Is this a bump in the road or a gaping pothole? If you’re an IT director trying to forecast fleet refresh costs, it can feel like both at once. Stability, precious as it is in the tech world, is increasingly the exception, not the rule.
This optimism, or realism depending on your outlook, matters deeply for IT teams. If you’re about to requisition 1,000 new laptops, you’ll want to pay close attention to both inventory and supply-chain signals. Waiting too long risks stock shortages, but jumping the gun could mean overpaying for hardware that depreciates faster than a crypto meme stock.
In the end, the market forces at play are complex: pent-up upgrade demand, evolving international trade rules, the never-sleeping beast that is AI, and a deep well of consumer and enterprise anxiety over legacy software. If this were a soap opera, you’d expect plot twists in every episode — and you wouldn’t be wrong.
Do OEMs get to coast on this upgrade wave, or will the looming threat of more tariffs (not to mention global economic wobbles) yank the rug out from under them? If analysts are right, we’ll likely see a Q2 or Q3 plateau, as the backlog clears and OEMs chase “the next big thing.” But don’t underestimate the power of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. As long as Microsoft keeps moving the OS goalposts and trade rules stay, well, unpredictable, expect further drama.
There’s little doubt that PC vendors will pivot to whatever the next compelling narrative is. Maybe it’s AI-powered privacy features. Maybe sustainability will get more than lip service. One thing’s for certain: the drive to keep consumers and enterprises upgrading on schedule isn’t going anywhere.
In the meantime, IT managers can console themselves with a fresh crop of inventory to tinker with, update, and (hopefully) secure before the next ransomware scare lands. Everyone else gets to enjoy a front row seat to the high-stakes horse trading that turns every new hardware cycle into a minor culture war.
For OEMs, this is a moment of rare leverage. For IT buyers, a rare window for negotiation, provided you can navigate the hurdles. For everyone caught in between, it’s the latest reminder that in tech, change is the only constant — and procrastination is still the world’s most popular upgrade strategy.
Stay agile. Don’t wait until the final patch Tuesday to evaluate your hardware fleet. Communicate with your vendors, because today’s price and availability is tomorrow’s case study in unpredictability. And if an AI-powered Windows laptop lands on your desk, thank the supply chain gods — but double check those minimum specs before trusting it with your next big project.
The PC isn’t dead, no matter how many times pundits declare its demise. It just keeps reinventing itself, sometimes thanks to true innovation, sometimes with a helpful nudge from expiring operating systems and tariff policy roulette. One thing is clear: this refresh cycle is as much about who can best adapt to chaos as it is about who builds the shiniest new machine. And if that’s not the most “2025” thing ever, I don’t know what is.
Source: Windows Central PC shipments are rising fast in 2025 — as OEMs prep for the end of Windows 10
Lenovo Leads, but the Herd Grows
In the ruthlessly competitive PC jungle, Lenovo remains alpha. Its shipments jumped by a hearty 11% year-over-year, outmuscling rivals and solidifying its spot at the summit with a 25% global share. Not to be left out, HP clawed out 6% YoY growth, while Dell muscled in with 4%. Apple, the perennial wildcard, slipped ahead to a double-digit market share — 10% — forever proving that even in a world awash with PC choices, style (and MacBooks) still matter.Sure, those are objective stats, but let’s not kid ourselves: this is as much about timing as triumph. Throw an end-of-support fire drill for Windows 10 and add a pinch of tariff-fueled market chaos, and suddenly every idle laptop starts looking like an endangered species. OEMs are scrambling to stock the shelves, crowing “Upgrade or perish!” while clever IT teams sigh and brace for budget battles ahead.
But let’s zoom out. HP, Dell, Lenovo: these aren’t just big names, they’re seasoned survivors. The recent growth isn’t just a stroke of good fortune — it reflects years spent streamlining supply chains, bracing for supply and demand swings, and (let’s face it) sticking stubbornly to the tried-and-tested “sell more boxes” formula in a world obsessed with cloud, mobile, and disposable gadgets.
Windows 10: The Elephant in Every IT Department
Now, about that pesky Windows 10 deadline. Everyone’s favorite operating system (or, let’s be honest, the one most folks are grudgingly stuck with) is finally having its sunset moment. By late 2025, support will dry up, and for millions of businesses and home users, this isn’t merely a calendar event — it’s an existential crisis.Windows 11 isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for everyone, either. With strict hardware requirements that leave older systems on the curb, many users face a harsh choice: upgrade or run the digital equivalent of a rusting sedan in a cyberpunk city. Modern features, especially those reliant on AI, demand specs beyond what a typical 2017 Dell Inspiron can muster.
For IT managers, this means frantic spreadsheet audits, late-night patching sessions, and a growing suspicion that “planned obsolescence” is more feature than flaw. OEMs are counting on this mass migration, banking on millions to replace serviceable (if unfashionable) hardware rather than risk running unsupported — and increasingly vulnerable — systems.
It’s the Y2K scare all over again, minus the feverish doomsday prepping. If you’re in IT procurement, though, the only thing scarier than a virus outbreak is the price tag on those hundreds of shiny new laptops your users absolutely “must have” before October.
The AI PC Hype: Justified or Just Marketing?
Amid all the Windows 10 kerfuffle, there’s another force at work: the AI PC. According to analysts, the slow but steady rise of AI-ready devices is fueling fresh interest in premium hardware. These aren’t your granddad’s ThinkPads; these come loaded with neural processors, chatbots eager to court your data, and promises of productivity nirvana.But here’s the kicker: most of this new silicon muscle is twiddling its digital thumbs, waiting for software to catch up. Current AI features are notoriously selective about hardware—the best experiences require dedicated NPUs (neural processing units), which, surprise, surprise, are mostly found on the very machines OEMs want you to buy.
In other words, you’ll need the “real” Windows 11 experience (complete with the latest AI flourishes) on the latest platforms. That six-year-old HP EliteBook collecting dust? It’ll run the basics, but any dreams of local Copilot magic or live translation will have to wait for your next hardware refresh — which happens to be right when those same OEMs are desperately pushing their 2025 inventory.
Let’s face it: in tech, timing is everything. OEMs are deftly parlaying both the Windows 10 EOL and AI hype cycle into a sales bonanza. If you thought Microsoft's hardware partners weren’t master tacticians, think again.
Tariffs, Trade Wars, and a Global Supply-Chain Game of Chicken
If forced upgrades were the only worry, life would be comparatively easy for hardware manufacturers. But 2025 brings another delightful wrinkle: tariffs. U.S. trade policies — as stable and predictable as a Windows Update — have manufacturers and distributors breaking out in a cold sweat.Like a game of international whack-a-mole, tariffs rise, fall, and then shift sideways. At one point, OEMs like Razer hit pause on U.S. laptop sales entirely, fearing losses would outweigh even sky-high list prices. Framework, the darlings of DIY modular laptops, stopped selling certain models because they simply couldn’t make the numbers work.
Gaming handhelds, a bright spot in the PC ecosystem, got hammered by price hikes, with models like the Legion Go S and MSI Claw suddenly less affordable to all but the most committed collectors. For enterprises, that means hardware budgeting just became a maddening exercise in “wait-and-see” — because nothing frays the C-suite’s nerves like watching tariffs flip the projected price of a standard work laptop from $900 to, say, $1,500 in a matter of weeks.
Is this a bump in the road or a gaping pothole? If you’re an IT director trying to forecast fleet refresh costs, it can feel like both at once. Stability, precious as it is in the tech world, is increasingly the exception, not the rule.
Short-Term Surge, Long-Term Reality Check
Let’s put things in perspective. The Q1 2025 jump in PC shipments is impressive, but even industry analysts acknowledge it’s likely a “sugar rush” rather than a sustained trend. Counterpoint Research and Canalys both signal a likely return to Earth as OEMs fill shelves and consumer anxiety ebbs — or simply mutates in the face of the next crisis.This optimism, or realism depending on your outlook, matters deeply for IT teams. If you’re about to requisition 1,000 new laptops, you’ll want to pay close attention to both inventory and supply-chain signals. Waiting too long risks stock shortages, but jumping the gun could mean overpaying for hardware that depreciates faster than a crypto meme stock.
In the end, the market forces at play are complex: pent-up upgrade demand, evolving international trade rules, the never-sleeping beast that is AI, and a deep well of consumer and enterprise anxiety over legacy software. If this were a soap opera, you’d expect plot twists in every episode — and you wouldn’t be wrong.
Real-World Implications for IT Pros (and Everyone Else)
So what does all this mean for IT professionals, small businesses, or the harried home user suddenly confronted with cryptic “unsupported operating system” warnings?- IT Pros: Inventory up. Review your hardware audit logs like they’re love letters from your ex. Know which devices are eligible for Windows 11, and which need to be pensioned off before they become a security risk — or a punchline. Place your orders before tariffs rewrite your budget. Above all, communicate early and often with stakeholders. No one wants to hear about a refresh crisis in Q3.
- Small Businesses: Prepare for sticker shock. Consider extended warranty or support options if you must limp older hardware through the next fiscal quarter — but weigh this against newfound cybersecurity liability. Yes, that dusty old desktop could put your business at risk.
- Consumers: Expect more “limited time offer!” laptop deals than Super Bowl commercials. Don’t let FOMO drive your purchasing decisions — but don’t get caught flat-footed either. If your system’s on the Windows 11 naughty list, now’s a good time to shop. Or at least to start making peace with Chrome OS.
The Crystal Ball: What Comes Next?
Here’s the fun part: predicting what all this means for the rest of the year, and beyond.Do OEMs get to coast on this upgrade wave, or will the looming threat of more tariffs (not to mention global economic wobbles) yank the rug out from under them? If analysts are right, we’ll likely see a Q2 or Q3 plateau, as the backlog clears and OEMs chase “the next big thing.” But don’t underestimate the power of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. As long as Microsoft keeps moving the OS goalposts and trade rules stay, well, unpredictable, expect further drama.
There’s little doubt that PC vendors will pivot to whatever the next compelling narrative is. Maybe it’s AI-powered privacy features. Maybe sustainability will get more than lip service. One thing’s for certain: the drive to keep consumers and enterprises upgrading on schedule isn’t going anywhere.
In the meantime, IT managers can console themselves with a fresh crop of inventory to tinker with, update, and (hopefully) secure before the next ransomware scare lands. Everyone else gets to enjoy a front row seat to the high-stakes horse trading that turns every new hardware cycle into a minor culture war.
Under the Hood: Risks, Rewards, and Everything In Between
Let’s wrap with a hard-nosed look at risk and opportunity. For every laptop that finds a new desk, there’s a silent risk of:- Inventory overhang if demand fizzles.
- Mid-year price spikes as tariffs shift (again!).
- Customers stuck with premium-priced “AI PCs” that deliver less benefit than promised until software (and organizational workflows) catch up.
- Aging hardware still clinging to Windows 10, soon to be the low-hanging fruit for cybercriminals everywhere.
For OEMs, this is a moment of rare leverage. For IT buyers, a rare window for negotiation, provided you can navigate the hurdles. For everyone caught in between, it’s the latest reminder that in tech, change is the only constant — and procrastination is still the world’s most popular upgrade strategy.
The Takeaway (No, Seriously)
If, by this point, your eyes are glazing over, here’s the Wi-Fi password to surviving 2025:Stay agile. Don’t wait until the final patch Tuesday to evaluate your hardware fleet. Communicate with your vendors, because today’s price and availability is tomorrow’s case study in unpredictability. And if an AI-powered Windows laptop lands on your desk, thank the supply chain gods — but double check those minimum specs before trusting it with your next big project.
The PC isn’t dead, no matter how many times pundits declare its demise. It just keeps reinventing itself, sometimes thanks to true innovation, sometimes with a helpful nudge from expiring operating systems and tariff policy roulette. One thing is clear: this refresh cycle is as much about who can best adapt to chaos as it is about who builds the shiniest new machine. And if that’s not the most “2025” thing ever, I don’t know what is.
Source: Windows Central PC shipments are rising fast in 2025 — as OEMs prep for the end of Windows 10
