16 Mar 1998
PC sales expected to rise 13.4 per cent to 90m units
[NEW YORK] Global personal computer sales this year are expected to rise 13.4 per cent from
year-earlier levels to reach 90.6 million units, compared with a 15.2 per cent rise to 79.9 million
units the prior year, California market research firm International Data Corp said.
The study cited solid PC demand in the US, West Europe and Latin America offsetting major
weakness in many Asian markets.
IDC said 1998 is expected to be "a tumultuous year of transitions for all vendors".
"The range and depth of current market changes point to a profound shift in industry business
models, concentration of power, distribution strategies and product mix," said IDC vice-president
Bruce Stephen.
In 1998 the US market is expected to grow by 15.4 per cent to 36.3 million units, while western
Europe is expected to grow by 13.8 per cent to 22.1 million units.
The Asia-Pacific region's PC sales growth pace is expected to weaken, growing by just 6.9 per
cent to about 11 million in 1998, after rising by 16.5 per cent in 1997.
According to IDC, in the global market in 1997, the top five PC sellers were Compaq, with a
12.7 per cent market share, IBM with 9 per cent, Dell with 5.9 per cent, Hewlett-Packard Corp
with 5.6 per cent and Packard Bell NEC with 5.2 per cent. All other vendors had 61.5 per cent.
-- AFX |
