Not dead yet [Dataflow]

Over the past few years, the conventional wisdom has been that the personal computer-once the center of the digital universe-is doomed. Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones were going to send PCs the way of time-sharing terminals and electric typewriters. But after experiencing an initial precipitous decline in year-on-year sales following the release of the iPad in this highly seasonal business, global PC sales have stabilized, according to figures provided by the market research firm Gartner.