A PC trade-in rush is on the way—and it’s coming at the worst possible time

Just as they did with televisions, many people used the pandemic as an excuse to upgrade their PC or laptop.

It was a move that made sense at the time. Telecommuting became essential, and not all devices could adequately handle the demands of Zoom, Teams, and other work software. At the same time, digital communication was often the only way to stay in touch with friends and family.

Smartphones handled some of that heavy lifting, of course, but the PC industry still saw shipments...