Recession, what recession?
Strong notebook sales coupled with emerging-market growth are expected to boost PC market sales by 20 per cent, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Hot on the heels of a strong fourth quarter in 2009, global PC shipments notched up year-on-year growth of 27 per cent in Q1 2010. A measured economic recovery plus strong buying across commercial and consumer segments has quashed fears of consumer fatigue leading to the 20 per cent growth prediction, says the IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.
The recent market recovery has seen a small rebound in higher priced SKUs as netbooks became less of a driver of volume. While low-to- mid-range laptops still dominate the market with a year-on-year increase of 28.5 per cent, desktop PCs saw their first yearly growth since Q2 2008.
Furthermore, commercial desktops posted their first positive growth since the downturn, while the popularity of all-in-one PCs was a major factor in driving consumer desktop growth.
Emerging market regions saw a record high of 37 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter and the strong surge in volume brought a corresponding slowing of price declines over the past year. A combination of improved commercial activity and a renewed interest in mainstream notebooks led to a moderation of ASP decline rates, too.
