PC shipments better than estimates
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Shipments of PCs will drop only half as much as first feared, says Gartner
In March 2009 Gartner forecast the steepest drop in PC shipments in the industry’s history, a drop of 12%, but in July the company revised its predictions.
It now believes 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 that “all the kinks have been ironed out”.
