News Article
iSuppli Raises 2005 PC Forecast
iSuppli Corp. has boosted its growth forecast for PC unit shipments in 2005 to 10.3 percent, up from 8.2 percent previously, as stellar first-half sales and soaring demand for mobile computers have brightened market prospects.
Total PC shipments in the first half of 2005 amounted to 100.8 million units, up 10.5 percent from 91.3 million units in the first half of 2004. Historically, PC shipments in the first half amount to 46 to 48 percent of the annual total. Thus, we can safely expect annual growth in the range of 10 to 11 percent.
In light of this, iSuppli now predicts 2005 PC shipments will rise to 210.98 million units, up 10.3 percent from 191.2 million in 2004. The growth driver this year has not been desktop PCs, whose unit shipments rose a relatively mild 7.4 percent in the first half of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004. Rather, the growth has been generated by entry-level servers—and particularly by mobile PCs—whose unit shipments have risen by 17.1 percent and by 19.5 percent respectively in the first six months of 2005 compared to the same timeframe a year earlier. iSupplis previous forecast for mobile PCs predicted unit growth of 11.8 percent in 2005. However, with mobile PC shipments up nearly 20 percent in the first half, growth this year should easily exceed this forecast—barring a market collapse.
In light of this, iSuppli now predicts 2005 PC shipments will rise to 210.98 million units, up 10.3 percent from 191.2 million in 2004. The growth driver this year has not been desktop PCs, whose unit shipments rose a relatively mild 7.4 percent in the first half of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004. Rather, the growth has been generated by entry-level servers—and particularly by mobile PCs—whose unit shipments have risen by 17.1 percent and by 19.5 percent respectively in the first six months of 2005 compared to the same timeframe a year earlier. iSupplis previous forecast for mobile PCs predicted unit growth of 11.8 percent in 2005. However, with mobile PC shipments up nearly 20 percent in the first half, growth this year should easily exceed this forecast—barring a market collapse.
