Low-priced mobile PCs turn favorite

Low-priced mobile PCs continued to be the growth driver for the PC industry in most regions tells Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

Mini notebooks did well in the challenging economic environment where consumers’ number one priority was to save money and so low-priced mobile PCs led market growth in the U.S.

According to research analyst Gartner, Mini notebooks continued to put pressure on low-priced mobile PCs. This pressure was mainly felt in the consumer market, but it expanded into select professional markets as well, including the education segment.

U.S. mobile PC ASP likely will decline as much as 20 per cent year-over-year in first quarter 2009, said a press release.

“Overall, end user spending on PCs is likely to have contracted in the upper teens in first quarter 2009 compared to a year ago.” Kitagawa added.

As per the preliminary statistics gathered, PC shipments in Asia/Pacific registered 18.2 million units in the first quarter of 2009, a 5.5 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2008. And the professional segment was strongly affected by the unfolding economic slowdown in the region.

The home market was less affected because vendors were aggressive in stimulating demand by adjusting prices downward, bundling promotions, and conducting road shows targeting the market.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 67.2 million units in the first quarter of 2009, a 6.5 per cent decline versus first quarter 2008.