Who needs affordable PCs and oil, anyway?

Chromebooks, the low-cost computing option popular with education buyers, will be squeezed hardest this year as memory prices spiral out of control.

According to the mystics at Omdia, total global PC shipments are on track to decline 12 percent in 2026: desktop PCs by 10 percent to 53.2 million units and laptops by 12 percent to 192.2 million units.

Why? For readers with their heads in the clouds, an AI-driven memory shortage is plaguing the entire industry by inflating the price of the vital components, with a knock-on effect on systems.

The price of mainstream memory and storage configurations jumped between $90 and $165 since the start of last year, a financial pressure that forced PC brands to ditch promotions, hike purchase prices, and adjust specs, Omdia says. Memory prices are estimated to rise a further 60 percent in Q1.