2009 PC outlook slashed
Edited by Suzanne Deffree -- EDN, January 8, 2009
ISuppli Corp has slashed its 2009 forecast for PC unit shipments by nearly two-thirds and is predicting single-digit growth of only 4.3% this year. It estimates total 2009 PC shipments will reach 316 million units.
The company had previously predicted 11.9% growth for the year, followed by a 9.4% expansion in 2010 shipments. The new forecast for 2010 calls for a 7.1% growth in unit shipments. ISuppli revised its forecast in November 2008 after the financial crisis hit in the third quarter, impacting both business- and consumer-IT spending.
“The result of the financial turmoil is less money to spend, and that money itself is often more expensive,” says Matthew Wilkins, iSuppli's compute-platforms principal analyst. “With less money to spend, application markets, like PCs, have been impacted. Real issues—such as difficulties in paying staff or making rising mortgage payments—are affecting businesses, as well as consumers,” he continues. “The task of refreshing or acquiring new IT equipment has taken a backseat.”
ISuppli estimates that desktop PCs in 2009 will suffer a shipment decline of 5%, and notebook PCs, with decreasing prices, will achieve shipment growth of about 15%.
