Last year, the desktop PC market was rapidly shrinking due to increased consumer demand for mobile devices, including tablets, smartphones and desktops. Yet despite the fact that industry sales have been declining, the survey results of the yearly American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) have found that customer satisfaction is largely quite the opposite. Overall, the survey respondents reported higher levels of satisfaction with their new desktop computers than with laptops or tablets, which indicates that the desktop PC market may be ready to make a comeback.
While last year's ASCI report found that desktop satisfaction ratings were lagging behind both tablets and laptops, the recent survey indicates a reversal of that trend. Even though mobile devices now have access to faster internet and more powerful features than ever before, tablet satisfaction fell from 81 percent to 80, while desktop satisfaction climbed from 78 percent to 81. Similarly, laptop satisfaction fell from 80 percent to only 76.
Additionally, the survey found that consumers are also more satisfied with smaller computer manufacturers than they are with the big names like Apple (News - Alert) and HP, the latter suffering an 8 percent drop in satisfaction. Smaller brands, on the other hand, had their satisfaction ratings go up by 8 percent.
Of course, one exception to the general trend is not going to completely reverse the desktop market. If the market does come back, there is no way of telling how large – or small – that increase in sales may be. Since the survey only measures satisfaction instead of including sales figures, it could be entirely possible that dissatisfied desktop users have left their computers entirely, which only leaves the satisfied customers remaining. Still, this does not explain why mobile device users are reporting lower levels of satisfaction, which is a mystery in itself.
Edited by Maurice Nagle
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