Driven by consumer demand and bargain prices, the personal computer market is expected to reach record shipment levels in 2003 and 2004, according to a new report from IDC, a market research firm. For broadcasters and content owners, that's a lot of potential outlets for repurposed and value-added content.
Projections are that worldwide PC shipments will grow by 11.4 percent to a total of 152.6 million units in 2003 and 169.9 million in 2004. The previous shipment record was 140.2 million units in 2000 before the worldwide economic downturn decimated sales.
Demand in the PC market had been improving slightly and steadily since 2002 and surged during the third quarter of this year when shipments worldwide jumped by almost 16 percent from the year-ago period, IDC reported.
"We have been waiting for a recovery in the PC market for a while, and with the recent third-quarter results and general strength of the market, the recovery is happening a little earlier than we expected," said Loren Loverde, director of PC research at IDC.
IDC analysts expect PC demand to remain strong through next year as consumers continue to take advantage of lower prices and improved features of computers, especially in the notebook market. Corporate spending on computers is also expected to improve modestly next year as companies look to replace systems they bought before the turn of the millennium.
