PC Unit Shipments Analytical Report

PC Unit Shipments Analytical Report Purpose This analytical report provides quarterly PCs shipment from the second quarter 2011 to the same quarter 2012. It would allow PC vendors to evaluate and measure their sales performances against their major rivals worldwide. As a result, they would be able to adopt new sales strategies.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on PC Unit Shipments Analytical Report specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The report provides data on previous shipments of PCs. Therefore, PC manufacturers can use it to predict future PC shipments globally. Summary During the financial period of 2012 in the second quarter, PC shipments declined as compared to the same period the previous year. The general decline was 0.1 percent based on data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). The graph indicates that HP might lose its position to Lenovo. Overall, the market is cautious as innovative products emerge. Thus, new strategies are necessary fo r PC vendors. Outlook Overall, the worldwide PC market experienced a decline in shipments. The IDC noted that the actual results did not match earlier projections of 2.1 percent growth every year. There were limited demands from major PC distribution channels within the first quarter of the year 2012. Most distribution channels did not want to increase their inventories before some PC firms could launch their new products. Consumer apathy had contributed to low purchasing of PCs. They noted that it was not strategic to purchase PCs in a rapidly evolving technology environment. Consumers expected new products in the market. For instance, many waited for the launch of Windows 8. In addition, others did not spend on PCs because of high prices. Demands for PCs have been low in the US and Europe.   However, the wave of low demands increased in other regions like Asia. This marked a dismal performance for the year.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Figure 1: PCs Unit Ship 2011-2012 From the results, IDC could validate its projections for the second quarter of 2012. IDC had noted that the second quarter was a transition period in which consumers’ anticipation for new products and pricing factors played major roles to slow down PC shipment globally (IDC, 2012). The introduction of new products and operating systems were critical in addressing the slow growth of PC shipments. These would assist distribution channels and consumers to know what to purchase. The Graph HP HP was the top PC vendor worldwide, but it experienced a decline in most regions. Slow market conditions had created unfavorable conditions for HP. In addition, distributors aimed to adapt to market changes. Lenovo The vendor held the second position. However, Lenovo reduced the difference between itself and HP. Analysts believe that the growth of Lenovo would also decline in th e coming quarters. Dell The manufacturer experienced significant declines over the period. Dell’s market shares declined while its target market segments did not perform well.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on PC Unit Shipments Analytical Report specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Acer Acer recorded a steady shipment within the quarters. It was able to be ahead of other competitors. Although its European market had recovered, Acer faced declines in demands from other regions. ASUS ASUS has grown steadily over the quarters in most regions. Most of its shipments originated from Asian and EMEA regions. The vendor’s steady growth has spread to other regions too. Regional Outlook The US The US market performed poorly than previously anticipated. It recorded a decline of 10.6 percent. Most vendors and suppliers faced declining demands for PCs. There was no incentive for buyers while others decided to wait for ne w products. Lenovo increased its market share against its major competitor in the US market. It recorded a growth of 6.1 percent in PC shipments. Middle tier distributors are sensitive to market fluctuations because they lack extensive resources to strengthen their positions. EMEA- Europe, the Middle East and Africa EMEA region recorded a positive growth as earlier projected. Economic recovery in Western Europe was responsible for the growth. Central and Eastern Europe led the region as consumers’ demands for PCs increased. However, the growth remained positive but modest. Japan The country experienced a positive growth in the second quarter of 2012 despite poor performance in the first quarter. Most demands emanated from commercial sectors. The effect of the quake could have initiated demands for new PCs to replace the damaged ones. Asia and Pacific region The region experienced a slight decline in demands for PCs. Shipments had declined in India and China. Moreover, other m arkets also recorded slow growths. However, Lenovo performed well in this region.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Audience This analytical report targets product developers and sales departments in various PC firms. Recommendation The report reveals that PC manufacturers face a tough market ahead. Technological, economic, and consumer factors have contributed to declines in demands for PCs. Thus, PC vendors must take the following initiatives: Sales departments must adopt new sales strategies PC manufacturers must create incentive for buyers PC vendors should introduce new competitive products in the market Vendors must look for emerging markets and many distributors in different regions PC manufacturers must be innovative to match changes in technologies Report Conclusion Overall, PC shipment has declined globally. Projections indicate that shipments would decline as economic, technological, and consumer factors change. Consumers have slowed down purchases while distributors want to clear inventories in preparation for new technologies and economic conditions. PC vendors need new strategies in such dynamic markets. Reference IDC. (2012). Global PC Shipments Stalled in the Second Quarter While Buyers Remain Cautious And Market Waits For New Products. Web.

How To Get Started Designing Games for Mobile

How To Get Started Designing Games for Mobile Its a Whole New Mindset Mobile gaming is a booming market right now, and it seems everyone wants to dive in and grab a chunk of the market. However, getting started in mobile gaming isnt just about porting your Windows or Xbox title over to iOS. Design for Your Current Platform, Not Your Previous One This seems like common sense, but a lot of games out there will attempt to shoehorn the design of a console onto a multi-touch gaming device. While, yes, this can work, frequently the player is reminded that theyd rather be playing the game on a console gamepad than on an iPhone. When it comes to artwork, remember that tiny fonts may be readable on a Retina display (and allow you to fit a lot of text on the screen), but they are not very enjoyable to read. The same goes for highly detailed textures. You dont need a massive, high-resolution texture for all your assets. The detail can actually make the game more visually noisy, detracting from the artistic feel and causing eyestrain. While sound can make or break a game on a desktop computer or console, on mobile, its an entirely more complex matter. Most gamers would love to have sound in every game they play, either for the aesthetic or gameplay value. However, there is a matter of practicality to mobile gaming, in that many people cannot play the game with sound due to being in public spaces. By all means, include sound if youre able; many mobile users have headphones, or arent limited by environment. Optimized code. Yes. The power of current desktop computers allows a lot of un-optimized code to slip by, hogging extra system resources without anyone taking notice. Mobile is far more unforgiving than even a game console. Mobile OSes have a variety of techniques for handling background processes, battery management, resource allocation, etc. If your game bludgeons the systems battery to death in an hour, your game is going to get bad reviews, and you wont make any money. Slow performance is one of the first reasons people will choose to shelf a game forever. Optimizing Tips Weve covered what not to do. Now, lets look at a few places to improve. Interface Are you using a single multi-touch screen? If so, is it a tablet or a phone-sized screen? Are you using something more exotic like the PS Vitas front and back touchscreens and physical controls? How about camera-based augmented reality? Touch is very intuitive. Do not fight that. As I mentioned above, many games simply superimpose gamepad controls on a touch screen. This works in some cases, but frequently is problematic. One of the most important things you can do in this area is play other games and see what works and what doesnt. Specifically, what works without you having to think about it. The more instant immersion for the player, the more chance you have of them staying with the game, and either recommending it to others, or purchasing in-game items through microtransactions. If you cant find an existing scheme that works for your game, think about how you would manipulate your avatar in the real world, and find some way to translate that to the screen. Art As stated above, massive textures on mobile arent a great idea from the design point of view. They are also horrible about growing the size of your game in the devices storage or sucking up available RAM. You need to do everything you can to shrink your textures to the smallest size that will look good on the device. (Always keep high-res originals though, for when next-generation devices are released with higher-resolution screens.) Learn how to create a texture atlas, or find a good tool for the engine youre using/creating to build them automatically. Sound Audio is brutal, and pains many a good sound designer at the requirements placed on them. High-quality audio can cause an apps size to balloon incredibly. Be sure to listen to your final audio on every compatible device. Mobile phone speakers demolish audio, so dont just judge on how it sounds through headphones. Code Use an engine or framework that lets you go as close to bare metal as your programming skills allow. High-level managed code is frequently all you can do, but depending on the engine/framework you use, it may go through several layers of interpretation which can really slow down well-written high-level code. Final Words First impressions on an app store are critical! While you may have the urge to just get it out there and be done, then update it later, dont. With the way app stores work, you may only get one shot at that front page where people pick you up out of the crowd. Marketing and PR only go so far; if the first hundred people who checked out your game give it a 1-3 star review, odds are you wont get another chance. Take your time, do it right, and ship it when its done.