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Despite much slower sales growth compared with tablets and smartphones, PCs are still the computing device of choice for many users.

Reports of the PC’s death have been greatly exaggerated—or so it would seem from reviewing the data about actual usage.

Strong sales of tablets and smartphones have prompted some to suggest that the PC is becoming an anachronism. It’s true that sales of traditional desktop and laptop personal computers do not match the exceptional levels of handheld devices. But the total installed base of PCs continues to grow, according to Deloitte’s analysis, albeit at a slower pace than historically. And these PCs aren’t just collecting dust. More than 80 percent of Internet traffic (measured in bits) still comes from PCs, Deloitte estimates. And that accounts for more than 70 percent of the hours people spend on any computing devices.

What’s behind the numbers? Physical attributes—like larger screens and keyboards—go a long way toward explaining the PC’s enduring popularity not only for work-related tasks, but also for watching videos. The demographics of PC usage may also be more complex than the rhetoric suggests. Deloitte’s “Devices, Consumption, and the Digital Landscape 2012” report found that 92 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said the PC was their preferred device, compared with only 60 percent of those age 66 to 75.

In this TMT Predictions video, Duncan Stewart and Paul Lee, both researchers for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, distinguish reality from the rhetoric when it comes to PC usage.