PC sales growth predicted to remain strong in 2006

Growth in the personal computer market is predicted to stay over 10% next year. It will be the fourth consecutive year of double digit growth for the sector. Though the world economy may slow down and people will be replacing their computers at a slower pace, the growth will be fueled by continued growth in portable computing.

IDC predicts that personal computing sales will grow by 10.5 percent in 2006. If that prediction is accurate it will be a large step back from 2005. Fourth quarter sales growth is expected to reach 15%, which will leave the year at 15.8%. That is half a point higher than last year. IDC predicts a compound annual growth rate of 9.4 percent from 2005 to 2009.

The demand for portable PCs is particularly high in the U.S. according to the IDC study. They predict that laptops and notebooks will make up half of all PC shipments by 2008. Worldwide, IDC predicts that total annual computer sales will reach 300 million units by 2009.