As this year in Consumer IT comes to a close, we get around to decide which industry stories were the most important. Was the HP split the biggest story of the year, or was it Windows reaching version 10? Take a moment to gather your Top 10 before comparing it with ours below!
HP breaks up: In a bid to turn its fortunes around HP got to split itself in two, with one half taking PCs and printers while the other handles corporate hardware and services operations. This means HP is effectively two companies, HP Inc and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
PC market sees improvement: Analyst appear to agree that the PC market returns to growth in 2014, following a difficult 2013. For instance, IDC says Q3 2014 EMEA PC shipments were up by 10.3% Y-o-Y, with shipments driven by W. European markets, while Context says Q4 2014 W. European PC shipments are up by 16.9%.
Dixons and Carphone Warehouse merge: May 2014 saw the creation of a so-called "merger of equals" as Dixons and Carphone Warehouse reached an agreement on "Dixons Carphone," a mega-retailer with 3000 stores (across Currys, PC World and CPW outlets) and combined sales worth nearly £11 billion.
Phones 4u closes down: Speaking of retail news, 2014 saw the controversial demise mobile retailer of Phones 4U, following its loss of EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three business. It leaves behind a pile of debt worth £168 million, as well as 365 closed outlets.
Windows Goes to 10: Microsoft brought its counting skills into question with the next version of Windows. Dubbed 10 (as opposed to 9), the new Windows promises nothing less than "the first step of a whole new generation of Windows." And just as well, seeing how Microsoft also got a new CEO in the shape of Satya Nadella this year.
Microsoft buys Minecraft: In more Microsoft-related happenings, the company's first major acquisition under Nadella's leadershi came in software, only not the kind normally associated with the Windows maker. In fact, the company coughed up all of $2.5 billion for Mojang, the Swedish developer behind Minecraft, the super popular (54 million copies sold) construction game.
Smartphones, tablets slow down: Distressing news comes from the smartphone and tablet fronts, as analysts tweak their projections to tell both markets face deceleration over the next few years. Smartphones are hit by a combination of cheaper prices and saturation within mature markets, while tablet customers are holding on longer to their devices, leading to slower upgrade cycles.
Retailers find low-cost tablet success: Non-CE retailers show surprise success in own-brand low-cost tablets. These include the likes of Tesco's Hudl (winner of the "ReThink Retail Technology Initiative of the Year") and Hudl 2 and Aldi's relaunched Medion Lifetab.
HP, Dell present immersive computers: One of the first products shown of by HP following its breakup was the Sprout, a "blended reality" PC combining a touchscreen, touch surface and a 3D camera. Just a month later Dell presented a similar product with the "Smart Desk," a PC replacing the regular keyboard and mouse with a horizontal touchscreen.
3D printers head for the mainstream: 2014 was all about the consumer 3D printer announcements, even if Gartner says it will still be some time before the technology truly goes mainstream. But still, we saw all kinds of 3D printers this year, from the miniature iBox Nano to Will.i.am's Ekocycle Cube and, our favourite, the food-printing Foodini.
