The expected growth for the PC market in 2010 may fall short of what was initially forecast, warned Gartner today, in a study cited by C | Net.
Forecasts pointed to 367.8 million units shipped (counted ex-factory) during this year, which would represent an increase of 19.2 percent over last year.
The numbers were influenced by the good results verified during the first semester of the year, but the uncertainty of the analysts regarding the behavior of the economies of Western Europe and USA makes them fear an oscillation of the predicted values until the end of the year.
As a result, Gartner revised its estimates for the end of the year, now showing a 15.3 percent rate as probable growth, which represents a 2 percent drop from the figure it had advanced in May.
The experts explained that, although consumer interest was enough to keep the market from falling in 2009, the industry now fears that demand will decline, and that fear alone may be enough to reduce the number of units shipped.
«There is no doubt that demand in the consumer market, if not also in the corporate market, has declined in view of expectations for mature markets», said one of the officials mentioned, arguing, however, that changes in the level of product supply were they owe much to the fear of a further decline and that the risk aversion of suppliers will be as important a factor as the actual decrease in the number of buyers.
