According to new numbers from IDC, worldwide PC shipments were down 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to numbers from one year earlier. The drop was worse than IDC’s originally predicted 4.4 percent drop, suggesting that even the anticipated release of the Windows 8 operating system could not rescue the slumping PC industry.

“Collectively, PC companies shipped 89.8 million computers over the fourth quarter, compared to 95.9 million a year earlier,” reports The New York Times.

Research firm Canalys notes that “the launch of Windows 8 did not reinvigorate the market in 2012, and is expected to have a negative effect as we move into 2013,” according to analyst Tom Evans. “Windows 8 is so different to previous versions that most consumers will be put off by the thought of having to learn a new OS.”

Analysts suggest PC sales continue to feel the impact of tablet success, as more consumers opt for devices such as the iPad rather than laptops.

“As more people buy tablets made by Apple and devices running various flavors of Google’s Android operating system, Canalys estimated that the share of PCs running Windows and Intel chips would fall to 65 percent in 2013 from 72 percent last year,” notes NYT.