Computer Daily NewsPortable PC sales are taking off in a major way worldwide – they’re the main factor in a 16.7pc spurt in overall PC sales in the current fourth quarter, IDC reports. By 2011 the research firm predicts notebook and laptop PCs will be outselling desktops two to one in the US, and by a smaller but still significant margin in the rest of the world.
IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, released yesterday, says overall PC sales have accelerated this year after a slow second half in 2006. Annual growth for 2007 is expected to reach 14.6pc, up from 10.1pcv in 2006.
Increasing demand for portables is the major reason for the overall takeoff in PC market growth. In Q3 worldwide growth of portable PC sales reached 37 percent, the fastest rate in more than a decade.
“The rapid transition has boosted portable share of client PCs to nearly 45pc in the third quarter, and will likely reach 50pc by the end of 2008,” IDC reports.
The market watcher expects total PC shipments worldwide to grow from 235 million in 2006 to 389.6 million in 2011. Of these 82.4 million were portables in 2006 – and IDC is tipping 208.7 million portable shipments in 2010.
The swing to portables is strongest in the US. In 2006 shipments there comprised 39.4 million desktops and 26 million portables; in 2010, IDC is tipping only 29 million desktops – but 53 million portables.
Analyst Richard Shim says the main factors behind the swing to portables include: falling prices, the narrowing performance gap compared with desktops, improving wireless connectivity, and expanded access through retail channels.
– IDC’s definition of a PC includes desktop, notebook, ultra-portable and x86 server models, but does not include handhelds.