Samsung Denies Abandoning Desktop PC Business

Samsung has denied stepping away from desktop computers, despite reports claiming executives from the company had confirmed it would instead focus on tablets, all-in-ones, and notebooks. "Samsung will continue to offer diverse PC products according to consumer and market needs" a spokesperson told The Next Web Asia, describing the claims as "groundless".

Claims that the desktop business was being marginalized came from two unnamed executives speaking earlier this week, speaking to Korean press. "Demand for conventional desktop PCs is going down" one Samsung Electronics senior told reporters, and that instead the plan was to "allocate our resources to popular connected and portable devices."

However, even with Samsung's new-found enthusiasm for its desktop business, it's tough to see evidence of that in its product line-up. There are currently no desktop PCs listed in either the consumer or business sections of Samsung USA's site, with the company instead focusing on all-in-one PCs for those who want a desk-bound machine.

Meanwhile it would be hard to criticize bypassing desktops as a strategy in computing over the next few years. According to recent Gartner research, sales of traditional PCs continue to slump, and that's only expected to get worse in 2014.

In contrast, tablets, all-in-ones, and ultraportables – all areas in which Samsung is particularly active – are tipped to grow considerably. There'll also be more space in the market for more unusual form-factors, such as hybrids that can convert between tablet and notebook. Samsung unveiled the ATIV Q, just such a machine, at its Premiere 2013 event last week.