Blu-ray optical drives still a rare find in British PCs
This here survey may have been conducted by GfK across the pond, but we'd be willing to wager the results are actually indicative of most major developed markets. Baseless assumptions aside, the facts are that a subset of surveyed individuals has led the research firm to conclude that at the tail end of 2008, DVD-RW drives still held a 92 percent share in the optical disc drive sector. Needless to say, sales of standalone BD optical drives were much, much lower, holding just a 4 percent volume share in November 2008. Moreover, some 81 percent of "mobile computers" and 86 percent of desktops came loaded with a DVD-RW drive last October, and just 1 percent (yes, one) of desktops came with a high-definition drive of any kind pre-installed. It's not shocking to see that the PC market is adopting BD slower than the standalone home entertainment segment, but what this could also signal is the declining interest in cutting-edge HTPCs altogether. What say you, oh knowledgeable ones?
