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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Duker who wrote (31035)	6/15/1999 8:53:00 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 70976

Asia-Pacific PC Market Sets Record in Q1 1999, IDC Says June 15, 1999 (HONG KONG) -- The Asia/Pacific personal computer market, excluding Japan, posted its highest quarterly shipments ever in the first quarter of 1999, International Data Corp. said. Total regional PC shipments amounted to 2.95 million units in the first quarter, almost 25 percent higher than the same period one year earlier and more than 2 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 1998. The annual growth rate in the first quarter of 1999 was the highest figure produced since the second quarter of 1996, when the market generated more than 30 percent annual growth. The first quarter of 1999 marked the first quarter in more than three years that every Asian country market IDC tracks enjoyed positive annual growth. Market gains seen in key countries such as China, Australia, India and Taiwan. As a consequence of the strong first quarter results, IDC increased its regional forecast in 1999 to 12.9 million units shipped for more than 23 percent annual growth. "After two very tumultuous years, the regional PC market appears to be firmly planted on the path of recovery," said Brian Kornegay, research manager at IDC Asia/Pacific. "Obstacles such as political uncertainties in India and precarious China-U.S. relations remain, but IDC expects the regional PC market's momentum to continue." IBM maintained its lead in the regional PC market in the first quarter, with unit shipments of approximately 259,000, an increase of 49 percent when compared to the year-earlier quarter. The company performed well in most regional markets, but its growth was boosted to the greatest extent by success in Korea, Australia and Taiwan. Compaq Computer Corp. maintained its second place position in the first quarter of 1999 with 223,400 unit shipments, 7.5 percent more than it shipped in the year-ago period. Legend Group remained in the third place position with unit shipments surging 70.4 percent compared to the year-ago period for 5.9 percent market share. However, it recorded the only negative sequential growth rate among the top 5 vendors, with unit shipments down by 12 percent over the fourth quarter of 1998. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. held the fourth place position with a 5.9 percent market share, followed by Hewlett-Packard Co. with 151,100 unit shipments and a market share of 5.1 percent. Once again, China played an integral role in supporting the region's growth as its market expanded. At 35 percent of the regional market, China is now more than twice the size of the next closest Asian market -- Australia. First quarter PC shipments in China amounted to more than 1 million units for a 22.1 percent increase from the year-ago quarter. The other country markets that rounded out the top five in the first quarter included Australia, Korea, India and Taiwan, respectively. nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com