Researcher IDC sees more good news for a recovering technology sector: Microprocessor sales are soaring almost 40 percent over the same period a year ago. That’s a key figure for industry watchers looking for signs of renewed IT spending and system refreshes seen by many as a key revenue driver over the next year.
HardwareCentral takes a look at how major players Intel and AMD are faring as buyers shell out for new systems and new hardware amid a wider thawing of IT spending.
The tech sector’s economic recovery continues, with worldwide PC microprocessor unit shipments up 39 percent in the first calendar quarter of 2010 over the same quarter in 2009, according to IDC. It’s a 5.6 percent sequential decline over Q4, which is typical for seasonality as sales traditionally fall off in the first quarter following the holiday season.
On the plus side, average selling prices (ASPs) rose 4.1 percent sequentially thanks to all the expensive, high-end new product coming from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and AMD (NYSE: AMD). But despite being much more competitive with its products, and profitable, AMD appears to be losing ground to Intel.