Global sales of personal computers are expected to pick up strongly in 2003 with shipments projected to increase by 8.3 per cent, a report said today.
Research firm International Data Corp (IDC) said 136.2 million PCs are expected to be sold this year, rising to 147.5 million next year.
"While business spending has been slow to recover, we believe it will pick up in the first half of 2003, and market drivers like portable adoption, wireless networking . . . will support moderate growth," the IDC report said.
For next year and beyond, demand from commercial and personal users is expected to improve but government spending will decline to reflect budget constraints, IDC said.
In its outlook on the key regions, IDC said "security concerns and war in Iraq may depress business and consumer spending" in the United States.
For the Asia Pacific, uncertainty over the global economy, the uncovering of terror cells and prospects of a Middle East conflict "have established a more cautious investment climate," IDC said.
AFP