Global PC Shipments to Reach About 388 M. Units in 2011: Gartner

Taipei, March 16, 2011 (CENS)--Worldwide personal computer (PC) shipments are forecast to reach 387.8 million units in 2011, a 10.5% increase from 2010, according to Gartner Inc.'s preliminary forecast.

The major information technology (IT) research and advisory company said that the new forecast is down from its previous projection of 15.9% growth this year. The firm explained that the new forecast is based on expectations of weaker demand for mobile consumer PCs.

Gartner expects worldwide PC shipments to total 440.6 million units in 2012, a 13.6% increase from 2011. This is down from Gartner's previous outlook of 14.8% growth for 2012.

"These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer mobile PC demand, in no small part because of the near-term weakness expected in China's mobile PC market, but also because of a general loss in consumer enthusiasm for mobile PCs," said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.

Gartner analysts said that consumer mobile PCs have been the dynamic growth engine of the PC market over the past five years, averaging annual rates of growth approaching 40%. For much of this period, mobile PCs remained consumers' platform of choice for bringing the Internet into their daily lives. However, due to the spread of low-cost embedded Wi-Fi modules, Internet access is now available through a multitude of mobile devices that allow consumers to engage in virtually all their favorite online activities without the need of a mobile PC.

The professional market is expected to continue to exhibit double-digit growth in 2011 and 2012, as aging PCs are replaced worldwide.

The dramatic rise in the popularity of alternative devices and the limitations of the PC are two of many dynamics that played a significant role in Gartner's revised outlook for the PC industry, the company said.

Consumer enthusiasm for media tablets is a key factor in Gartner's forecast that the consumer mobile PC market will remain weak in mature markets. Consumer substitution of media tablets for mobile PCs already appears to be impacting mobile PC shipments in mature markets. However, a bigger issue seems to be that consumers are taking a "wait and see" attitude toward PCs as they anticipate the arrival of new media tablets during the rest of 2011, Gartner pointed out.