PC sales are going to continue their downward trend, according to a report from IDC. Sales will fall from 435.1 million units in 2016 to 398.3 million by 2021, providing a five-year compound annual growth rate of -1.7%. IDC believes the forecast could be somewhat improved with an increased adoption of gaming and VR, among other things, but even then growth would be minimal.

In the coming five years, IDC primarily expects one kind of device in the market to grow, the "detachable tablet." That includes devices like the Surface Pro, which can be used as both a tablet and a laptop-like device.