IDC sees new opportunities for emerging sub form factors, such as ultrathin portables and all-in-one desktops.

Bob O'Donnell, Program VP, Clients and Displays says, "Hardware vendors and software developers should seize the opportunity to promote differentiation by rewriting the computing experience to match the new variety of PC sub form factors arriving in the market."

IDC's predictions for the PC industry in 2010 are:

1. Ultrathins will be under 5% of total portable PC shipments. The focus on ultrathin PCs will continue to grow in 2010, but the value equation for many consumers is still not compelling enough to drive significant growth.
2. Mini notebook shipment growth will drastically slow and plateau. Lack of differentiation and declining prices for other portable PCs will translate into shipment growth rates in the low double digit range, just under the portable PC average.
3. Average selling price (ASP) declines will slow dramatically. Stronger market demand from both the commercial and consumer markets should make it less likely that the market will aggressively lower ASPs.
4. Shipments of portable PCs with WiMAX embedded will surpass shipments of portable PCs with 3G cellular embedded in 2010. While activation rates for 3G enabled notebooks may be higher than WiMAX-enabled notebooks, the foundation is being laid for future WiMAX adoption.
5. Share of all-in-one desktops will double. All-in-one desktops to capture nearly 10% of the worldwide desktop market in 2010.
6. Portable PCs will account for more than 60% of all PC shipments.
7. 10% of new enterprise desktop client deployments will be virtual. The expected commercial market rebound will help.
8. Touch-enabled portable and desktop PCs will gain little traction. Without compelling touch-specific software, consumers aren't likely to buy touch-enabled PCs in large quantities.
9. Apple's launch of the iPad will not spur increased sales of Windows-based Tablet PCs. (Apple's iPad could find success, its shipments won't count in IDC's Tablet PC numbers since it doesn't run a full OS.)
10. DVD will remain the dominant optical drive type in PCs. DVD is "good enough" from both a price and picture quality standpoint to withstand the challenge from Blu-ray.