PC Sales Continue to Defy Analysts

Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 6:18 pm

After Intel leapt past the second-quarter results that analysts had predicted for it, the PC market as a whole has also posted better-than-expected second-quarter results. IDC said today that PC shipments only declined by 3.1% compared to the second quarter of 2008, whereas it expected them to plummet by 6.3%.

Even Gartner’s numbers confirmed that the PC market didn’t decline as sharply as was expected. Gartner had feared a very steep decline of 9.8%, but its crystal ball eventually turned out to be way off the mark. According to Gartner, PC shipments declined by 5%.

IDC expects the PC market to put its horror run behind by the end of 2009. "New product launches in the second half of the year combined with seasonal growth and greater economic confidence resulting from factors such as government stimulus, a more liquid housing market, relatively stable stock market and interest rates, and progress in the auto and financial industries, should support the expected return to growth by year-end,” said Loren Loverde, the program director for IDC's PC tracking unit.