Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: johnd who wrote (29276)	9/8/1999 4:55:00 PM
From: Tony Viola	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Johnd, When Ingram, Staples, Office depot, tech data are all showing weakness, should I interpret this as a leading indicator of slower sales in computer, office hardware and software. No, I think the problem with those companies is their business models. Ingram used to be big in selling PCs to corporations. Now, more and more, corporations are buying direct, and on line, from people like Dell and Gateway. Ingram gets bypassed. As for Staples and Office Depot, I never knew anybody shopped at those stores for computers anyway. Here's what it's more like, and these bullish reports for PCs have been surfacing for months: seminews.com PC unit volumes to surge 24.8% in Q3, predicts research firm A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc. Story posted 10:45 a.m. EST/7:45 a.m., PST, 9/8/99 FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--Personal computer unit shipments in the third quarter are expected to grow 24.8% over PC volumes in the same period last year, said market researcher International Data Corp. here today. The strong growth in worldwide PC shipments will come on the heels of a 36% increase in unit volumes in the second quarter compared to a year ago, IDC said. "Prices keep coming down and consumer interest in PCs keeps going up," said analyst John Brown, research manager of IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracking report. "IDC believes that consumer demand combined with the traditional seasonal uptick in sales will result in very healthy global demand this quarter." Unit shipments are expected to rise 7.2% in the third quarter from 10.9 million PCs in the second quarter, said the market research firm. In the second quarter last year, PC makers delivered 8.0 million computers, estimated IDC, which credits cheap systems, healthy growth in Asia and the still strong U.S. economy for the continued surge in personal computer shipments. Japan has the highest year-to-year growth rate in the second quarter with an increase of 39%, according to IDC, which is forecasting a 32% increase in PC shipments in the country during the current quarter. Western Europe's PC demand is expected to grow 16.3% in the third quarter, while U.S. PC volumes will be up 12.2% to 12.2 million units in the third quarter, IDC predicted. PC shipments in the Asia Pacific market will be up 34.3% in the third quarter compared to last year, IDC said. China, India, South Korea and Australia are expected to drive the growth in the region. Political unrest in India, Indonesia and Malaysia could hamper the regions growth in the second half of this year, cautioned the research firm.