According to IHS iSuppli the thinner, smaller 2.5-inch HDD format will soon have a market in desktops, thanks to demand from all-in-one PCs and low power consumption requirements.

The analyst predicts WW 2.5-inch HDD shipments for all-in-one PC use will reach approximately 1 million units in 2013 (accounting for 4% of the all-in-one PC market), up from "virtually zero" in 2012. Shipments will grow even further in the future, reaching 3m in 2014 and 7m (18% of the market) by 2016.

The 3.5-inch HDD will remain the format of choice-- but will grow at a "much slower" rate than 2.5-inch HDDs during the 2011-2016 forecast period.

iSuppli predicts a number of vendors will adopt the 2.5-inch format for all-in-one PC models, including Apple, HP, Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Vizio and Acer.

Go Desktops Set to Adopt 2.5-Inch HDDs as All-in-One PC Form Factor Gains Favour (IHS iSuppli)