Total worldwide monitor shipments were slightly below 35 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, a decrease of 0.4% compared to the previous quarter, according to IDC. The negative 3.8% on-year growth in the fourth quarter was largely due to declining desktop sales.

　　"Dell and HP both saw increases in unit shipments for the worldwide monitor market for the second time in a down year," said Jennifer Song, research analyst at IDC. "At a regional level, EMEA experienced the largest positive growth during the fourth quarter, with Italy and Spain posting the biggest gains."

　　Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2014, IDC said it is forecasting an on-quarter decline of 9% in worldwide shipments to 31.7 million units. However, IDC slightly raised its total shipment forecast for the full year 2014 from 125.2 million units to 125.6 million units, which represents a decline of 8.6% compared to 2013. By 2018, worldwide shipments are expected to drop further to 104.8 million units, as the adoption of mobile devices at lower price points is expected to continue, the firm said.