A technology research group says worldwide shipments of personal computers continue to decline as tablets replace the PC as many people's primary computing device.
The U.S.-based Gartner group says worldwide PC shipments dropped nearly 11 percent in the second quarter of 2013 from the same period last year. It said this is the fifth straight quarter of declining shipments - the longest in the PC market's history.
The report said that consumers worldwide are instead purchasing more affordable tablet devices. In emerging markets, it said inexpensive tablets have now become the first computing device for many.
The devices became popular following the release of Apple's iPad in 2010. Tablet prices have since tumbled, amid heated competition from manufacturers who have flooded the market with cheaper alternatives.