FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The global economic doldrums are forcing a sharp worldwide drop in demand for personal computers, a leading U.S. market research firm said Wednesday.
IDC, based in Framingham, Mass., said it now projects worldwide shipments of PCs will rise just 3.8 percent in 2009, down from earlier projections of 13.7 percent growth. Total value of the computer units shipped are expected to fall by 5.3 percent, compared with earlier forecasts for a 4.5 percent growth in shipment value.
IDC said it expects more robust growth in 2011 and 2012, with increases above 12 percent, Informationweek reported.
IDC said demand for laptops, falling PC prices and the need to replace older systems are the driving forces behind sales. But consumers and businesses will be "much more conservative in their purchases over the coming year or two," IDC analyst Loren Loverde said in a statement.
