(Note: This story was originally posted to CRN.com Sept. 1.)

PCs Climbing Back, But Slowly

If you're struggling to sell PCs, the latest market forecast from IDC doesn't present you with a lot of hope for a major turnaround.

The PC market didn't take the dive it was expected to take in the second quarter of this year, but it didn't register positive growth either, according to the Framingham, Mass.-based research firm I, and the next five years could be tough.

The market is on what IDC calls the "slow path to stabilization," as global economic conditions and shifting buying habits continue to impact sales. IDC predicts that PC shipments will return to "positive (albeit minimal) growth" in 2018.

At the root of the market's weakness is competition from other devices, and the fact that PCs are lasting longer, according to IDC. IDC also expects the consolidation to benefit market leaders like Dell, HP Inc. and Lenovo, which together control more than half the worldwide PC market. Click through for a rundown of key stats and expectations about the PC market's near future.