Slow worldwide growth, but strong US growth for PCs in 2002, IDC reports

Worldwide PC shipments in 2002 approached 136.2 million units, growing 1.4% from 2001, researchers IDC reports. IDC predicts that PC sales will grow 6.9% this year. Good news for consumers--although not for retailers and manufacturers--is that shipment value declined by 9.8% in 2002 and is projected to decline by 1.8% in 2003.

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Worldwide PC shipments in 2002 approached 136.2 million units, growing 1.4% from 2001, researchers IDC reports. In the US, PC sales to consumers grew 8.3% over the prior year to 16.8 million and IDC expects another 12% growth this year to 18.8 million. Commercial purchases were flat at 30.7 million units, up only 200,000 from 30.5 million in 2001. Commercial sales will grow this year to 31.6 million, 3% growth.

Q4 shipments grew 3.7% to 38.4 million units with a value of $46.9 billion, IDC says. The growth reflects “moderate consumer demand and continued caution on the part of businesses,” IDC says.

“We have moderate consumer growth, incremental technology improvements, a cautious business sector, and persistent uncertainty over the economy, Iraq, and North Korea,” says Loren Loverde, director of IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. “What`s new is that public sector spending on PCs is slowing. The decline in government and education spending is not unexpected, but it is accelerating, and the impact is showing on PC demand."