Gartner lowered its estimate of worldwide PC sales for the last quarter of this year, claiming a reflection against the values also below the forecast of the previous quarter and the increased competition from electronic devices.
The consultant now predicts that computer sales will reach 51.9 million units during the last quarter of this year, a figure 10 percent above that recorded in the same period last year, but 13 percent below the estimate advanced previously.
In the opinion of Gartner, computers do not lead the shopping lists for this Christmas because they still lack some essential features. «As we move into the fourth quarter, we remain concerned about the lack of ‘must-have’ features on the PC, as well as the competition from other electronics devices,» explained a person in charge of the consultant speaking to C | Net.
The figures for the previous quarter also contributed to the cut in forecasts.
According to Gartner the sale of desktops in the USA it was weaker than expected in that period of time, as was the commercialization of business PCs in Europe.
Sales of notebooks continued to grow at a greater pace than that registered in the desktops, adding half of the growth seen in the last quarter, but only 28 percent in the total number of units.
Related News:
2004-08-17 – Gartner reduces forecast for 2004 computer sales
