A year ago, pundits were declaring the personal computer dead.
Smartphones and tablets were cannibalizing sales, and the once-revolutionary PC seemed unnecessary and boring.
Sure, a smartphone is great for checking emails, snapping photos and playing games. Tablets are perfect for watching videos and shopping online. But don't count the PC out just yet.
Manufacturers are crafting high-resolution, curved screens for desktops and other new features you can't get in a hand-held device, while trying new laptop designs that mimic the tablet's appeal.
"For the last couple of years, mobile devices have been the hot commodity," acknowledges Dell executive Neil Hand.
"But we're seeing a re-emergence of innovation in the PC space."
For years, PC innovation consisted mostly of putting faster processors or a bigger hard-drive inside the same basic box.
That didn't really matter when the personal computer was a mostly unchallenged commodity. Global PC shipments peaked at more than 365 million units in 2011.
But then sales fell off dramatically as tablets stole hearts and wallets.
PC sales plunged 10 percent in 2013 alone, according to research firm Garter Inc., marking the worst annual decline in the industry's history.
They slipped a little further last year, to about 314 million units.
PC makers say they understand the need to evolve, and at the annual gadget show International CES in Las Vegas this week are showing off many new features aimed at wooing back consumers.
Depth-sensing cameras, for example, are popping up in high-end desktops and laptops.
Intel vice president Navin Shenoy said his company's "RealSense" camera can recognize its owner's face and unlock a PC without requiring a typed password.
