Bottom line: Market analysts at IDC have released their latest insights into trends in the PC industry. While consumers continue to purchase computers and retailers are replenishing their stock, significant changes are expected in the coming months, leaving the market's future uncertain. The International Data Corporation said the PC market experienced modest growth in 2024, with hundreds of millions of systems shipped to distribution channels and end customers. Echoing predictions made by other analysts, the Blackstone-owned market research firm confirmed that 2025 is shaping up to be a turbulent year for the technology sector.According to IDC, PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2024 rose by 1.8 percent compared to the same period in 2023, with 68.9 million units reaching the market. Over the full year, vendors shipped a total of 262.7 million PCs, marking a one percent year-over-year increase. While the growth rate was modest, IDC Research Manager Jitesh Ubrani noted that it signals a slow but steady recovery, leaving room for optimism in the market.Several factors contributed to the growth in PC shipments. In China, substantial state subsidies boosted consumer demand, leading to better-than-expected performance in the segment. In the US and Europe, holiday sales promotions incentivized customers to purchase new PCs. Meanwhile, the enterprise market saw a surge in hardware upgrades as businesses prepared for the end of Windows 10 support, scheduled for October 2025.According to IDC figures, Lenovo maintained its position as the world's largest PC manufacturer in 2024, capturing a 24.5 percent market share and achieving a 4.8% percent year-over-year growth. HP Inc. ranked second with a 19.9 percent market share, though it was the only company to experience negative growth in 2024, posting a 1.7 percent decline. Dell, Apple, and Asus secured the third, fourth, and fifth spots, with market shares of 14.4 percent, 10.1 percent, and 6.9 percent, respectively.As other research firms have highlighted in recent months, IDC notes that the next US administration could have a significant impact on the technology market. The looming threat of new or increased tariffs is raising concerns across the industry, leaving some brands facing a period of considerable uncertainty. // Related Stories"The overall macroeconomic concerns seem to be overshadowing some of the progress and excitement around AI PCs," IDC VP Ryan Reith said.While the industry is pushing for customers to adopt new systems equipped with NPUs and other advanced technologies, organizations are still debating the tangible use cases for AI. Furthermore, users are not rushing to purchase new PCs specifically for AI purposes. IDC acknowledges that on-device AI for PCs is inevitable, though it will likely take longer to become mainstream than initially anticipated.

The big picture: Many startups are working on personal flying aircraft that you could park at your home and take off whenever needed, much like a car. But some are closer than others when it comes to delivering that vision or at least they claim to be. One such company is Rictor, which unveiled its Skyrider X1 concept at CES 2025, billing it as the world's first flying motorcycle that could allow personal air travel as soon as next year. The Skyrider X1 is essentially a hybrid between an electric moped and a quadcopter drone. It features two wheels for driving on roads and eight propellers providing stability while airborne. The vehicle is designed to fly at speeds up to 62 mph for up to 40 minutes on a single charge, depending on the battery size.Renderings showcase an aggressive, angular body design with sleek lines, and a sporty ride stance when grounded. It appears to have a cabin capacity of a single person, much like a bike.The Skyrider X1's biggest selling point is the promise of autonomous operation. According to Rictor, it will automatically plan optimal routes, adjusting for weather conditions, altitude, and airspeed as needed. Riders just need to input a destination, and the vehicle will get them there while avoiding obstacles and traffic on the ground. It can take off and land vertically on its own too.If this all sounds too good to be true, that's because there are still massive technical and regulatory hurdles to overcome. Other air taxi companies like Joby Aviation and Volocopter have spent years trying to certify their piloted electric aircraft for simple airport routes, with little success so far. The idea of a self-flying personal vehicle zipping around populated areas seems exponentially more complex.Even if Rictor does manage to get its product flight-ready, it's likely that autonomous flying will come much later, largely due to regulatory challenges. Thankfully, the X1 also offers manual control with joystick functionality. // Related StoriesStill, Rictor is insisting the Skyrider X1 will be a reality very soon and with an unbelievably low $60,000 price tag. It even claimed that the vehicle was "the star exhibit of the show" on the floor in Las Vegas.The startup is certainly talking a big game for an unproven company. Its only previous product is a traditional electric moped called the K1. But they assert that "robust innovation capabilities" are allowing them to spearhead new solutions for the masses.

Hisense started releasing TVs stateside nearly a decade ago, and today, the China-rooted manufacturer is one of the top TV makers the world over! Hisense TVs are renowned for budget-friendly pricing, but dont let the word budget dissuade you these are some of the brightest and most colorful TVs on the market.Were always throwing the spotlight on QLED TV deals, and as luck would have it, we came across this gem of an offer earlier today: For a limited time, when you purchase the Hisense 75-inch U7N Series ULED, youll only pay $1,200. The full MSRP on this set is $1,500. We tested this TV last year, and reviewer Caleb Denison said the U7N was, absolutely incredible bang for your buck.Why you should buy the Hisense 75-inch U7N SeriesSitting just one rung below Hisenses 2024 non-UX flagship, the U8N Series ULED, the U7N harnesses the powers of mini-LED lighting and quantum dot-enhanced colors to deliver the kind of picture quality youd expect from a higher-priced Samsung or Sony. The U7N really pops and has zero issues with getting bright enough to combat ambient light sources like lamps (and that stupid sun thing in the sky). This TV was our pick for the best budget option in our roundup of the best TVs of 2024.RelatedOn top of class-leading HDR performance (the U7N supports every HDR format) and a native 144Hz refresh rate, the U7N supports gaming features like VRR and ALLM too, so PS5 and Xbox gamers get down-to-the-millisecond optimizations. Expect minimal input lag and some of the fastest response times youve ever seen on a TV.Apps, AirPlay, Chromecast, and other web-connected features are made possible by the TVs built-in Google TV OS. We wish this TV would stay on sale for the whole month, but this $300 discount could be gone tomorrow. So, if youve been shopping for a big QLED TV, this is definitely a markdown you dont want to miss. We also recommend taking a look at our roundups of the best QLED TV deals and best TV deals for even more discounts on Hisense sets and other TV brands, too!Editors Recommendations

One of the biggest surprises in the world of TVs is that the once-reigning champ of plasma displays, Panasonic, is stateside once more. For a minute, you could only get Panasonic sets outside the US, but this year, there are three Panasonic TVs for sale in North America, and the best one is already on sale for its lowest price yet:Right now, when you purchase the Panasonic 65-inch Z95A Series OLED TV, youll only end up paying $2,500. The full MSRP on this model is $3,200. Not only is this one of the best TV deals of the week, but its the sort of-TV homecoming weve all been waiting for! As our editor at large Caleb Denison said in his Z95A review: Stunning picture and shockingly good sound help make the Panasonic Z95A one of the top 5 TVs weve ever reviewed.Why you should buy the Panasonic Z95APlasma TVs were once the videophiles dream come true, and Panasonic stood at the summit of plasma stardom. And while the Z95A Series OLED may have a far thinner chassis than plasmas of yesteryear, this 2025 flagship is a brilliant homage to Panasonics 2010s heyday. Rocking a WOLED display with an MLA-enhanced sublayer, the Z95A delivers gorgeous colors and a near-infinite contrast ratio with perfect blacks.RelatedViewers will also be treated to an ultra-wide viewing angle, class-leading HDR support, and some very elevated SDR capabilities. We didnt think wed see the day when an OLED looked this good in a brightly lit room (though LGs long-standing Gallery Series has helped us prep for this moment). The Z95A has two HDMI 2.1 ports (four inputs total), as well as numerous gaming optimizations to give PS5 and Xbox gamers a fast-acting display to work with.Smart TV features are handled by Amazons Fire TV OS, which gives you access to numerous apps, including Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. Youll also be able to use Alexa to search for movies and shows, switch inputs, and more.While we wish this TV would stay on sale forever, it likely wont be this price as soon as next week. Heck, maybe even tomorrow. So, if you like the idea of saving $700 on a Panasonic OLED in 2025, today might be your best chance. Oh, and before you go, you may also want to look through our lists of the best OLED TV deals and best 65-inch TV deals, too.Editors Recommendations

Now that CES 2025 is wrapping up, we have a solid idea of what home theater tech is on the horizon. And, like clockwork, many of the best sets of 2024 are already going on sale, likely to make way for the new fleet. One brand that made waves at this years CES was TCL, so it makes perfect sense that the companys 2024 flagship QLED dropped in price.Right now, if you purchase the TCL 65-inch QM8 Series (2024) at Walmart, youll only wind up paying $950. The full MSRP on this set is $1,400, and the $450 youll save can go toward one of the best soundbar deals of the week! Both Amazon and Best Buy are selling the 65-inch QM8 Series (2024) for a reduced price too, though the Walmart offer is $50 cheaper.Why you should buy the TCL 65-inch QM8 Series (2024)QLED TVs are renowned for bright-room performance, and the TCL QM8 Series takes illumination to the next level (and has been since 2023). With its densely-packed mini-LED backlight array, the QM8 maintains up to 5,000 local dimming zones, ensuring picture maladies like light bloom and poor greyscale presentation are left by the wayside. Throw in some class-leading HDR capabilities (the QM8 supports every HDR format) and TCLs AIPQ Pro-powered 4K upscaling, and prepare to be amazed by this QLEDs 5,000-nit peak brightness!RelatedMovie buffs and gamers are in great shape when it comes to motion clarity, too. Not only does the QM8 support up to a 144Hz native refresh rate, but the TV also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro ALLM and includes an Auto Game Mode that automatically optimizes picture settings to cut down on input lag and improve response times.Other awesome features include apps, AirPlay, and other web-connected capabilities via the QM8s Google TV OS, and an Onkyo 2.1.2 audio system with a built-in subwoofer!Were not sure how long this markdown is going to stick around, but well likely see some ebb-and-flow activity until the new QM8 Series hits shelves later in 2025. That being said, it could be a while before the 2024 edition drops in price again. Purchase today and save $450 on the TCL 65-inch QM8 Series (2024). You may also want to check out our lists of the best TCL TV deals and best QLED TV deals for even more discounts on top sets!Editors Recommendations

The producers of the dark maple-syrup-heist comedy knew they had to tap into something authentic to make it work. Here, a behind-the-scenes look at their obsessive pursuit, plus the recipe for the sticky toffee pudding that fueled it.

The rivalry of Hannibal and Scipio, a visit to logo land, the most mysterious sense and more.

This ninth-century object at Oxfords Ashmolean Museum is a rare example of cloisonn enamel from the period, and connects us to the legendary figure who commissioned it: Alfred the Great.

Leaked memo verified Meta kills diversity programs, claiming DEI has become too charged Meta claims it will find other ways to hire employees from different backgrounds. Ashley Belanger Jan 10, 2025 3:17 pm | 22 Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMeta has reportedly ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that influenced staff hiring and training, as well as vendor decisions, effective immediately.According to an internal memo viewed by Axios and verified by Ars, Meta's vice president of human resources, Janelle Gale, told Meta employees that the shift was due to "legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing."It's another move by Meta that some view as part of the company's larger effort to align with the incoming Trump administration's politics. In December, Donald Trump promised to crack down on DEI initiatives at companies and on college campuses, The Guardian reported.Earlier this week, Meta cut its fact-checking program, which was introduced in 2016 after Trump's first election to prevent misinformation from spreading. In a statement announcing Meta's pivot to X's Community Notes-like approach to fact-checking, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed that fact-checkers were "too politically biased" and "destroyed trust" on Meta platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.Trump has also long promised to renew his war on alleged social media censorship while in office. Meta faced backlash this week over leaked rule changes relaxing Meta's hate speech policies, The Intercept reported, which Zuckerberg said were "out of touch with mainstream discourse." Those changes included allowing anti-trans slurs previously banned, as well as permitting women to be called "property" and gay people to be called "mentally ill," Mashable reported. In a statement, GLAAD said that rolling back safety guardrails risked turning Meta platforms into "unsafe landscapes filled with dangerous hate speech, violence, harassment, and misinformation" and alleged that Meta appeared to be willing to "normalize anti-LGBTQ hatred for profit."According to Gale's memo, the DEI programs were similarly outdated since "the Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI" and "the term 'DEI' has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others."Meta cuts DEI team, ends representation goalsMeta's culture shift, the memo said, required "five big DEI pullbacks," Axios reported.Those included cutting its DEI team and replacing equity and inclusion programs with programs "that focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background."It also included ending representation goals for women and ethnic minorities, which Gale wrote "can create the impression that decisions are being made based on race or gender." As of 2022, only 37.1 percent of Meta's global employees were women, Statista reported in December, and some minority groups remain underrepresented, with 6.5 percent of employees identifying as Hispanic and 4.9 percent identifying as Black in 2022. Meta is also still facing a lawsuit it now hopes to force into arbitration over alleged retaliation and discrimination against female employees.Additionally, Meta plans to stop seeking diverse-owned businesses as suppliers, instead focusing on "supporting small and medium-sized businesses that power much of our economy," the memo said.And finally, Meta will change its hiring practices from using a "diverse slate approach" sourcing candidates with "different backgrounds" to instead seeking as-yet unknown "other ways to build an industry-leading workforce and leverage teams made up of world-class people from all types of backgrounds," the memo said.Meta declined to comment but confirmed to Ars that Axios' reporting on the memo is accurate.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 22 Comments

i respect and applaud the effort Strange, unique, and otherwise noteworthy PCs and PC accessories from CES 2025 Most of these experiments don't stick around for long, but who knows. Andrew Cunningham Jan 10, 2025 3:04 pm | 2 Acer's Nitro Blaze 11, which takes the "portable" out of "portable handheld gaming PC." Credit: Acer Acer's Nitro Blaze 11, which takes the "portable" out of "portable handheld gaming PC." Credit: Acer Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe Consumer Electronics Show is a reliable source of announcements about iterative updates to PCs and PC components. A few of those announcements are significant enough in some way that they break through all that noiseNvidia's RTX 50-series GPUs and their lofty promises about AI-generated frames did that this year, as did Dell's decision to kill multiple decades-old PC brands and replace them with a bland series of "Pro/Premium/Plus" tiers.But CES is also a place where PC companies and accessory makers get a little weird, taking some bigger (and occasionally questionable) swings alongside a big batch of more predictable incremental refreshes. As we've covered the show from afar this year, here are some of the more notable things we've seen.Put an E-Ink screen on it: Asus NUC 14 Pro AI+ The NUC 14 Pro AI+ finds a way to combine E-Ink, AI, and turn-of-the-millennium translucent plastic into a single device. Credit: Asus The strangest CES PCs are usually the ones that try to pull away from "a single screen attached to a keyboard" in some way. Sometimes, those PCs have a second screen stashed somewhere; sometimes, they have a screen that stretches; sometimes, they get rid of the keyboard part and extend the screen down where you expect that keyboard to be.Asus is currently the keeper of Intel's old NUC mini PC line, and this year it's updating the NUCs mostly by putting new processors in them. But the Asus NUC 14 Pro AI+ also decides to spice things up by adding a color E-Ink display on top, one with images that can display persistently even when the device is off.While other PCs with shoehorned-in E-Ink displays have at least tried to do something functionalolder laptops in Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus series could be used as E-Ink tablets when they were closedthe screen on the NUC 14 Pro AI+ seems strictly ornamental. Asus offers few details about how it works: "users can generate AI images through the built-in app, allowing them to create unique personal identification designs that continuously display content without being plugged in, consuming no power."All of Asus' product shots show the NUC with the same pattern of abstract triangles displayed on the top, so it's unclear whether users will have the option to use custom non-AI-generated images, or if they'll be able to use the screen to display any other kind of system information. It's unique, at least.Stretching out: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable Is this a weird stretched-out Photoshop of a laptop? No, it's just the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable! Credit: Lenovo We wrote about the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable already this week, so we won't dedicate a ton of extra space to it here. But its stretchable screen, which expands vertically from 14 inches to 16.7 inches, is an interesting riff on the "one laptop, multiple screens" idea. Some pictures of the laptop look vaguely Photoshopped, like someone grabbed the top of the screen and stretched it out.Other laptops have put a second screen beneath the hinge under a removable keyboard and a second screen that folds out horizontally. The new ThinkBook keeps the portrait orientation, but it has a traditional non-removable keyboard in the base. One day, maybe Lenovo will hit a ThinkBook Plus screen idea that it likes well enough to keep for more than a generation or two.A time for reflection: InWin Prism PC case The InWin Prism case has mirrored glass side panels, so you can see everything inside your PC and also everything outside your PC. Seeing what pre-built weirdness the PC companies can come up with is always fun, but I live for the PC case ideas that companies bring to CES. Maybe you're using weird materials like fabric or wood paneling. Maybe you're making a case that looks like a shark, or a giant shoe. I probably won't buy any of these things, but I sure do like looking at them.The most eye-catching entry into this genre from CES 2025 is from InWin, which has also given us hits like this case with addressable RGB lights all over its entire front panel. The InWin Prism midtower uses two-way mirror panels on its sidesif you've already got a PC filled with busy RGB lights, the Prism makes things look even busier by also reflecting everything in your room back at you.The pristine press shots of this one don't really do it justice; photos from Tom's Hardware of the case on the show floor do a better job of conveying just how chaotic this thing looks in person.Feeling exposed: MSI Project Zero X case MSI's Project Zero X concept case achieves a clean look by using back-connect motherboards. It's very glassy. Credit: MSI If the Prism is a PC case that looks a littletoo visible, MSI's Project Zero X is the opposite, with glass that wraps around the back, front, left side, and top of the case to show off everything inside to an even greater degree than most windowed cases.This is a follow-up to the original Project Zero concept case, which wasn't quite as glassy. The (relatively) unique thing about both cases is that they're designed around motherboards with all their various connectors on the back sideoften referred to as "back-connect" motherboards. The power plugs, fan and USB headers, power button, and everything else you need to plug cables into when you install a motherboard are all facing the opposite direction from your CPU socket, RAM slots, and PCI Express cards.The point is to make it easier to create clean, show-off-able builds without as much cable management hassle, which is why you'd combine it with a case that shows your motherboard off from every side but the back.A roommate for your gaming PC: MSI MEG MAESTRO 900L PZ The MSI MEG MAESTRO 900L PZ can fit a full-size E-ATX build and a mini ITX build into the same case at the same time? Because why not? Credit: MSI MSI also makes the cut for the MEG MAESTRO 900L PZ. This is a hulking monstrosity of a PC case that can, for some reason, fit an E-ATX motherboard, an ITX motherboard, and the power supplies, fans, and GPUs for both systems in the same case at the same time.Maybe it's a nice way to bring a spare or loaner system with you to a LAN party or an e-sports competition? But it looks and sounds like the kind of thing that requires team lifting to move around.Building a bigger Steam Deck Acer's Nitro Blaze 11, which takes the "portable" out of "portable handheld gaming PC." Credit: Acer Clones of Valve's handheld Steam Deck gaming PC have become a product category unto themselves, and companies like Asus and Lenovo are already a couple of generations deep into their own versions. One of Lenovo's is the first non-Steam Deck to officially run Steam OS, a sign that Valve could once again be ready to make a move against Windows.And when the PC companies see what they think of as a new market opportunity, the race for differentiation begins, with occasionally silly results.Enter the Acer Nitro Blaze 11, which looks like a mostly conventional handheld with Nintendo Switch-style detachable controllers but with a huge 11-inch screen (the OLED Steam Deck is 7.4 inches, and other Deck-alikes mostly land between seven and nine inches). At 2.3 pounds, the Blaze 11 pushes the boundaries of what can reasonably be considered "handheld." It also has a Switch-style kickstand for propping it up on a desk or table, which feels like an admission that you might not want to be holding the thing all the time.All of that said, "take a thing people already like and make it bigger/smaller" has been a fairly reliable path to success in PCs, phones, and other tech over the last couple of decades. Maybe an 11-inch "handheld" won't seem so weird a few years from now.A keyboard for writers The Wordrunner is "the first mechanical keyboard for writers," or at least it will be if its Kickstarter takes off. Credit: Freewrite This one's for all the writers out there who believe that they're just one equipment purchase away from having a perfect, productive, distraction-free writing setup.Freewrite is known primarily for its smart typewriters, keyboards that are attached to small monochrome LCD or E-Ink displays that promise to be "dedicated drafting tools" that "maximize your productivity.This year, they've unveiled a PC keyboard billed as "the first mechanical keyboard designed for writers." The Wordrunner has a function row of shortcut keys that will be useful to writers navigating their way through a document, plus a built-in timer and word counter for the times when you just need to pull words out of your brain and you can go back and edit them into cohesive thoughts later.I do enjoy a keyboard with extraneous knobs and doodads, which makes the mechanical "wordometer" particularly appealing to me. Unfortunately, as of this writing the Wordrunner is still in a primordial, pre-Kickstarter state of development. If you're interested, you can put down $1 now, so you can get early bird Kickstarter pricing in February, and you might get a keyboard at some point several months or years in the future. Freewrite is, at least, an established company with several products under its belt, so we wouldn't betoo worried about this project vanishing without a trace as so many Kickstarter efforts do.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 2 Comments