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FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, file photo, a woman walks past laptop computers running Microsoft Windows 8 operating system during its launching ceremony in Hong Kong. Research firm IDC says PC global shipments of PCs fell 14 percent in the first three months this year. The appeal of tablets and smartphones is pulling money away from PC sales, but it also blames Microsoft\'s latest version of Windows, which forces users to learn new ways to control their machines. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Research firm IDC: PC sales plunge in 1st quarter as Win 8 flops, tablets and phones beckon

NEW YORK, N.Y. – IDC says PC global shipments of PCs fell 14 per cent in the first three months this year, the sharpest plunge seen since the research firm started tracking the industry in 1994.

The firm says the appeal of tablets and smartphones is pulling money away from PC sales, but it also blames Microsoft’s latest version of Windows, which has a new look and forces users to learn new ways to control their machines.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 on Oct. 26, hoping to revitalize the PC industry and borrow some of the excitement that surrounds tablets. PC shipments were already falling, but the latest report suggests the decline is speeding up.

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