The PC industry will see its sharpest unit decline in history, with shipments totaling 257 million units in 2009, an 11.9 percent decrease from 2008, according to Gartner.
Previously, PC units had their worst decline in 2001 when unit shipments shrank 3.2 percent.
"The PC industry is facing extraordinary conditions as the global economy continues to weaken, users stretch PC lifetimes and PC suppliers grow increasingly cautious," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner.
Global PC Shipments Remain Solid
Global PC shipments grew by 14.6 percent to 69.5 million units in the first quarter of 2008, which beat previous estimates of 13.2 percent according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.The U.S. market showed signs of the economic slowdown, but growth remained positive at 3.5 percent for the quarter. The other international markets compensated for the U.S. coming in more than 2 points above estimates due to continued strength in developing countries.
PC Shipments Increase 16%
Global PC shipments are estimated to rise by 16 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. After a slow second half of 2006, with growth hitting a low of 7 percent in the fourth quarter, growth has increased steadily in 2007 and the annual growth rate is expected to reach 14 percent up from 10 percent in 2006.
Hitachi to Double CE Hard Drive Shipments
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is rallying company resources to more than double the total shipment of CE hard drives in 2005.
Cell Phone Shipments Increase
Reports indicate that the fourth quarter of 2004 was the best ever for mobile phone shipments, which saw a 24-29% increase during the quarter.