If the first quarter is any indication, leading netbook, notebook and tablet PC makers are in for a very good year as strong consumer demand combined with an expected jump in enterprise upgrade cycles should lift overall unit sales by at least 22 percent in 2010.
As Datamation reports, this surge in consumer demand for mobile PCs comes at the same time that many large companies are upgrading their installed computer inventory to accommodate the release of Windows 7.
On the consumer side, mobile PC sales enjoyed a remarkable first quarter, totaling 49.4 million units sold in just three months. That’s a staggering 43.4 percent improvement from an admittedly moribund first quarter of last year, but still ranks as the single highest one-year jump in more than a year, according to Gartner.
In the quarter, the average selling price (ASP) for mobile PCs fell to $732, down almost 16 percent from an ASP of $868 in the first quarter of last year.
The long-awaited PC refresh cycle is poised to kick in, although consumer spending is still stronger than corporate spending, according to a new report from IT research firm Gartner. The firm is projecting a decent rate of growth for the worldwide PC market in 2010, and a second report shows first-quarter laptop sales are off to a good start.
Gartner projects worldwide PC shipments will reach 376.6 million units in 2010, a 22-percent increase from the 308.3 million units shipped in 2009. Total spending is expected to reach $245.4 billion in 2010, up 12 percent from 2009. The home PC market is projected to grow 29.5 percent this year, while professional PC sales will rise 13.1 percent.