But after a year-on-year decline in the first quarter, PC shipments came back to increase by 2.6 percent, year over year, in the second quarter, according to an IDC report this week. Total PC shipments in the second quarter were 84.4 million, IDC said.

"These preliminary results continue to reflect pressure from competing consumer and business products as well as cautious spending," said Jay Chou, senior research analyst, in . "Nevertheless, product refreshes and promotions in the second half of the year as well as easier year-ago data should boost growth in the second half of the year."

Though economic worries will likely shadow IT throughout the year, the wave of tech vendor results due next week should shine a light on how actual sales have been doing.