Dell, Lenovo: PC industry will stay

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite the sharp fall of PC sales in the third quarter this year, computer hardware companies Dell and Lenovo expressed confidence that the personal computer industry will stay amid the rapid growth of the touch computer.

Local executives here of both companies said people who are in "real kind of work" will still prefer the PC.

According to Vicky Agorilla, country manager of Lenovo Philippines, the PC is actually evolving and not dying as some people say, since the latest line of PC products are now designed for work and play.

She said PC sales will remain significant with the continuing rise of consumerism and mobile lifestyle.

“With the launch of Windows 8 and Intel's Ultrabook technology, now is the right time for the convertible form factor to take off,” Agorilla said.  

Lenovo recently announced two touch-optimized Ultrabook devices designed for both consumers and business professionals -- the IdeaPad Yoga 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Twist.

The IdeaPad Yoga 13 can move 360 degrees and fold from laptop to tablet, while the 12.5-inch ThinkPad Twist is built for professionals who use technologies either for business and personal computing.

Agorilla said Lenovo wants to seal its leadership in the PC industry.

She shared a recent study by Gartner placing Lenovo as the top PC manufacturer overtaking Hewlett Packard (HP).

Gartner, a US-based research company, pegged Lenovo to grow 9.8 percent yearly to 15.7 percent, a 0.2 percentage point higher than HP.

However, Agorilla explained that in Gartner's research, it did not include the workstation in its surveys, which IDC did, putting Lenovo still on the number two spot nearly 0.2 percent point shy than that of HP.

Agorilla said Lenovo will be focusing on the small-and medium-size-businesses (SMBs), or companies with 499 employees and below in the Philippines. She said about 99.6 percent of all businesses in the country are SMBs.

Meanwhile, Dell shared the same stance in trying to bridge the gap between work and play, unleashing a portfolio of its latest computing products.

Christopher Papa, country manager of Dell Philippines, said the new offerings aim to free users from carrying multiple devices, helping them save time and be more productive.

Among Dell's latest products are the Latitude 10, XPS 12, Latitude 6430u and OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One.

The Latitude 10 is a 10-inch tablet described to fit simply and securely into existing IT environments and offers rich multi-media features, accessory compatibility, and full compatibility with current Windows applications.

The XPS 12 is two devices in one. Besides being a fully-featured, full-powered laptop, it is also a fully-featured touch-powered tablet.

Sporting a thin, mobile form factor, the Latitude 6430u is Dell’s first business Ultrabook. Dell said it is a balance of both aesthetic and corporate needs that also carries the security, manageability and durability that most companies require.

Yet the Latitude 6430u is the first to offer a wireless docking based on WiGig technology, which allows devices to communicate wirelessly at multi-gigabit speeds for data, video, and audio, Dell said. With 10 hours of battery life on a single battery charge, the Latitude 6430u is seen to be crucial for road warriors and on-the-go executives.

As for Dell's OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One, it is a sleek 23-inch business-class computer. It offers options for a multipoint touchscreen, fixed or rotating camera and an articulating stand and is optimized for Microsoft Lync to enhance the user’s work experience with Windows 8.

Papa said the combination of new Dell hardware and Microsoft software will allow customers to create and consume content in new and exciting ways.

“We’re unveiling a comprehensive refresh of all our consumer and commercial products to take advantage of Windows 8. These stylish new products include clean and intuitive touch experiences, the security and manageability required by IT departments, and features to allow anytime, anywhere access to data and applications,” Papa said.