The PC sales market will be flat this year, despite the effects of economic turbulence, according to Intel's president and chief executive Paul Otellini.
Speaking at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco today, Otellini noted that for the past three quarter forecasts, the PC market has gone from a 10 to 15 per cent drop in shipments to being down just a few percentage points.
"I think it's actually better than this. My own bet is we are likely to see units in PC market slightly flat or up this year on 2008," he told attendees in his keynote speech.
He added that the "market is poised for a resurgence and we'll see how 2010 plays out."
Otellini said this indicates that t PC market is "more than resilient, it's amazing."
Despite the recession, people are still buying computers, he noted. "This shows we've built something which is indispensable, something people need in their day-to day lives," he added.
He acknowledged that netbooks have helped keep PC sales up, filling the gap in sales allowing the market to stay relatively flat.
Otellini also said he expected Microsoft's next operating system Windows 7 to help drive PC sales. "I am very excited about Windows 7 and its ability to ignite sales in the marketplace," he said.
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