Worldwide PC shipments for 2003 projected to grow

By Alun Williams

Posted on 10 Nov 2003 at 11:48

The research company Gartner has become more bullish about PC sales for the final three months of 2003. Estimating PC shipments of 47.2m units, an increase of 3 million, it now predicts a 12.4 per cent increase for the quarter from the same period a year ago.

'Third-quarter results were stronger than had been expected, led largely by the home and small-business markets,' Reuters quotes Charles Smulders, VP of Gartner's computing platforms worldwide group, as saying.

The revised estimations mean that Gartner is now predicting worldwide PC shipments of 164.3 million units for 2003.

It is the second time the company has revised its projections upwards - a positive outlook for the industry that matches the trends set by Intel and Microsoft in their recent quarterly results.

Gartner, however, did also strike a note of caution. Inventory levels in the US remain high, which would absorb demand, and increased shipments do not necessarily correlate with consumer demand and actual purchases. Furthermore, the strong value of the Euro is seen as boosting European demand, which is a factor that is isolated and may not last.

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