Worldwide sales of personal computers, which had been forecast to decline this year, will instead post modest gains, Gartner research group said Nov. 23.
Gartner said worldwide PC shipments are expected to total 298.9 million units in 2009, a 2.8% increase from 2008, and grow by 12.6% next year to 336.6 million units.
Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner had forecast in September that PC sales would fall 2% this year compared with last year.
"Shipments in the third quarter of 2009 were much stronger than we expected, and that alone virtually guaranteed we would see positive growth this year," George Shiffler, research director at Gartner, said in a statement.
Gartner said despite the modest growth in PC sales the market value of PC shipments is forecast to fall by 10.7% this year compared with last year to $217 billion.
It said the market value of PC shipments is expected to reach $222.9 billion in 2010, a 2.6% increase over 2009.
"Blame this year's drop in market value on the unprecedented declines in PC average selling prices we've seen this year," Shiffler said.
Gartner said PC market growth was being driven by sales of low-cost laptops.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009
