30 percent growth in Mobile PCs
Gartner has forecast worldwide PC shipments to reach 297 million units in 2008. This represents a 12.5 percent increase on 2007 and is a sizeable raise of their March forecast of 10.9 percent. However, it’s fair to assume that a lot of this volume growth is fuelled by lower ASPs and thus smaller margins.
As expected, mobile PCs are pretty much the sole drivers of unit growth, with 30 percent predicted for 2008. Sub-laptops like the ASUS EeePC are experiencing huge demand and their relatively low price means they’re doing particularly well in developing economies, where mobile PC growth is forecast at 39.4 percent versus 19.1 percent in mature economies.
“Mobile PCs continue to have strong momentum and the global economic environment is proving to be less punishing than we expected. Even so, it’s a bit premature to say PC shipments won’t be impacted by a weaker global economy, especially if oil and food prices continue to soar,” said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner.
“PC shipments should continue to maintain double-digit growth so long as emerging markets remain strong. Emerging markets appear less imperilled by the economic slowdowns taking place in the United States and other mature markets than we once thought.
“However, rising oil and food prices are accelerating inflation in many emerging markets and this could begin to squeeze PC demand in those markets, especially if local policymakers respond by curbing GDP growth to cool inflation. Even so, it is unlikely that emerging market PC growth would slow so much that global PC growth would slip into the mid-single digits.”
Press release: Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments on Pace for 13 Percent Growth in 2008
