The fitful, protracted sale of Dell Computers this year has epitomized what has been a rather sudden downturn in the fortunes of personal computer manufacturers. After months of squabbling and dealmaking, the latest offer to Dell shareholders is to take the company private at $13,65 a share, despite the fact that an asset management firm that is one of the major investors in the company estimates the stock to be worth $24 a share.
Dell's fate is not unlike that of another once-formidable PC giant, Hewlett-Packard, now struggling to find its legs once again. The emergence of tablets and smartphones has greatly reduced the markets for PCs; personal computer sales fell by 4 percent in 2012, and according to Citgroup, they are forecast to fall another 10 percent this year.
As recently as 2010, PC sales grew by 14 percent, a solid if unspectacular number. It remains to be seen if this industry will ever have another year that strong again.
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