To: Elwood P. Dowd who wrote (62606 ) 6/10/1999 5:16:00 PM From: Night Writer Respond to of 97611
IDC Asia Pacific PC shipments hit Q1 '99 record - IDC SINGAPORE, June 10 (Reuters) - The Asia Pacific personal computer (PC) market posted its highest ever quarterly shipment total in the first quarter of 1999, underpinning recovery in the sector, International Data Corporation (IDC) said on Thursday. Total regional PC shipments, excluding Japan, were 2.95 million units in the first quarter, some 25 percent higher than the same period a year earlier and two percent higher than the fourth quarter of 1998, the research house said in a statement. It was the first time in three years that every Asian market tracked by IDC had registered positive annual growth. "After two very tumultuous years, the regional PC market appears to be firmly planted on the path of recovery," Brian Kornegay, IDC research manager said in a statement. International Business Machines Corp <IBM.N> was the region's number one shipper with about 259,000 units moved in the first quarter, up 49 percent year-on-year. Compaq Computer Corp <CPQ.N> retained second spot with 223,400 units shipped, while Legend <0992.HK> was third. Samsung <05930.KS> came in fourth and Hewlett-Packard <HWP.N> was fifth. Industry-wide gains were supported by growth in China, Australia, India and Taiwan, with crisis-hit Asian economies also strengthening, IDC said. Annual increases ranged from four percent in Malaysia to 66 percent in Indonesia. IDC said China now accounted for about 35 percent of the regional market -- twice the size of Australia, the next closest. ((Singapore Newsroom +65 870-3011; Fax +65 776-8112; email: singapore.newsroom@reuters.com)) REUTERS