Gartner: PC shipments to jump by 20 per cent

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PC shipments should climb by nearly 20 per cent in 2010, with sales jumping 12.2 per cent from last year.

So claims analyst firm Gartner, which predicted spending would hit $245 billion this year.

The year is looking rosier than even a few months ago. In December, Gartner predicted shipment growth of 13.3 per cent, and just a 1.9 per cent growth in spending, for the year.

Now, Gartner expects demand for home PCs and business refreshes held off during the recession will help boost all regional markets to see some growth.

Laptops will lead the way. Gartner said "mobile PCs" made up 55 per cent of shipments last year, but will make up 70 per cent by 2012.

"The PC industry will be overwhelmingly driven by mobile PCs, thanks to strong home growth in both emerging and mature markets," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner, in statement.

"Desk-based PC shipment growth will be minimal and limited to emerging markets," he said.

He added that netbooks will help boost growth this year, but will start to decline the year after as tablets and ultra-low-voltage laptops hit the scene.

Ranjit Atwal, principal analyst at Gartner, said vendors must think outside of the traditional PC box.

"Apple's iPad is just one of many new devices coming to market that will change the entire PC ecosystem and overlap it with the mobile phone industry," he said. "This will create significantly more opportunities for PC vendors as well as significantly more threats."

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