PC Market Remains Strong
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Vendors shipped a total of 44.2 million PCs in the third quarter, which represented a growth rate of 11.9 percent compared to the same period of 2003, according to IDC.
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Lower prices and improved laptop performance will fuel continued growth in PC sales this year and next, says the market analysis firm.
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US consumers are happier with their PC purchases than they have been in the past three years, with Apple Computer and Dell pleasing them most, according to a report.
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Despite growing demand for notebook PCs, desktops are still popular.
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Linux is gaining ground with companies but Windows will continue to dominate consumer PCs in the near future. That is the non-contentious conclusion of the latest IDC research.
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Consistent gains in commercial personal computer demand will boost shipments of PCs to176.5 million units in 2004 on growth of 14.
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The leading electronics and entertainment retailer continues to produce strong results.
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Buoyed by continued strong worldwide sales of personal computers, Microsoft reported strong growth even as it faces the challenges of being a mature technology company.
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Both IDC and Gartner reported worldwide shipments of PCs were up strongly in the second quarter, thanks to surge in demand in the Far East and surprisingly brisk sales in the US.
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(InfoWorld) - Shares of Asian PC makers are finally shaking off their summer doldrums as back-to-school sales give them a boost and the upcoming launch of Microsoft's new Vista OS improves their longer term prospects. A buying binge on stock of Taiwanese PC maker Acer started early this week after it was upgraded by Merrill Lynch & Co.Â and a few other large investment banks. The firms noted that after sluggish sales in the first half of the year,Â demand for PCs is on the rise. TheÂ microprocessor price warÂ between Intel and Advanced Micro DevicesÂ (AMD) saw the price on some desktop chips halved, lifting PC demand, analysts say. Microsoft's new OS is expected to come out on time and give the PC market an additional long term boost. "The PC replacement cycle should take place gradually following Microsoftâs launch of its new operating system, Vista, in the first half of 2007," said Daniel Chang, computer industry analyst at Macquarie Research Equities, in a report on Thursday. Acer's shares were also boosted this week after it reported a better-than-expected 36 percent increase in second quarter net profit to NT$3.08 billion (US$93.59 million). It's shares ended up 25 percent for the week, at NT$53.5, on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Acer's main rival in Asia, Lenovo Group, also saw its stock rise. The company'sÂ U.S.-listed shares increasedÂ 11.2 percent to US$8.45 for this week, as of its close on Thursday. By comparison, Dell and Hewlett-Packard have been laggards. Dell shares are up 3.9 percent so far this week to end at US$22.60 on Thursday, while HP had gained 3.8 percent to US$36.56 over the same time. One reason for the difference in share performance is that Acer and Lenovo stock fell further this year than their U.S. rivals due to PC market concerns andÂ company-specific issues, analysts say, so it's no surprise the rebound has lifted them higher. Another reason Dell and HP have underperformed their Asian peers recently is because U.S. investors are concerned about the economy, including consumer demand and the likelihood of further interest rate increases. Although very little conclusive data is out for U.S. PC sales right now, analysts say demand in Asia is strong, and Europe is heating up. Henry King, executive director of technology research for Goldman Sachs (Asia), noted in a report on Wednesday that strong PC component demand in Europe over the past few weeks should help allay concerns over possible U.S. weakness. "Besides, we expect more Europeans to come back from summer vacations in the next few weeks, so sell thru data is likely to continue to trend up in September," King said. Another factor hurting shares of PC makers this year has been cutthroat price competition. But stronger market demand should ease price competition, analysts say, as should lower costs for microprocessors. In short, the seasonal demand from back-to-school and back-from-vacation sales going on now should extend for quite a while as users continue buying when Vista launches. The strong, steady demand should allow PC makers to charge reasonable prices, increasing their profit margins and making investors happy.
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PC shipments have started to ease off, as expected, but the worldwide PC market remained fairly strong in the third quarter, according to research from IDC and Gartner.
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Analysts expect continued growth despite a tough environment.
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The graphics card maker sees success in the PC market, but competition edges closer.
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Computer giant Dell sees profits rise 25% despite slowing momentum in the PC market, as laptop sales soar.
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The OS is chugging along on strong PC sales and antipiracy efforts, but Microsoft still faces some grumbling and a long haul in corporate sales.
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Dell Inc. DELL.O remained the  uncontested No.1 personal computer maker in the world,  following another quarter of strong growth, as the global PC  market grew 11.8 percent in 2004, market research firms said on  Tuesday.
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Notebooks and laptops show biggest growth Worldwide PC shipments are expected to rise by 12.6 per cent this year, according to new research by analysts IDC. The projected figure of 257.5 million units is up on IDC's prediction in June, which estimated growth of 12.2 per cent in 2007.â¦