Report: PC shipments on the rise

The market for personal computers has rebounded, fueling hopes for holiday sales, according to a new report from IDC.

According to IDC, a Framingham-based market research firm, the adoption of portable PCs remains a key driver.

Worldwide PC shipments are projected to rise by 16.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. Following a slow second half of 2006, with growth reaching a low of 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter, growth has accelerated steadily in 2007, reaching 16% in the third quarter, IDC said; as a result, annual growth is expected to reach 14.6 percent in 2007, up from 10.1 percent in 2006.

In the third quarter, worldwide portable PC shipment growth of 37 percent was the fastest in more than a decade, IDC said.

"The peak portable growth seen in the third quarter will be difficult to sustain, but it reflects strong demand across regions and segments that will fuel growth going forward," Loren Loverde, director of IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, said in a statement. "It will be increasingly important for PC vendors to have a strong Portable offering to stay competitive as the market continues its rapid shift to mobile computing."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)