PC sales not as gloomy as first thought, says Gartner
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Gartner has revised its forecasts for the PC industry, with a strong fourth quarter expected to halve the previously predicted decline
Not long ago, it forecast the steepest decline in PC shipments in the industry's history, a drop of 12%. But now the analyst company Gartner says that a strong fourth quarter will limit that decline to just 6%.
Furthermore, the analyst firm predicts growth of over 10% next year, as buyers are compelled to make purchases delayed in the recession.
"By [the fourth quarter] we expect the global economy to be on the recovery path,” said Gartner analyst George Shiffler, adding that demand for PCs, particularly netbooks and low-end laptops, had been greater than expected.
The release of Windows 7 in October is also predicted to affect PC sales, although the real impact will not be felt until enterprise buyers feel “all the kinks have been ironed out.”
Microsoft has announced that people who buy Vista PCs from now until October will be eligible to upgrade to Windows 7 for free.
