Portables offer a glimmer of hope, reports IDC

Portables offer a glimmer of hope, reports IDC

Auckland, 11th February 2003

Preliminary Q4 2002 New Zealand PC figures have been released by IDC. The preliminary results show that the PC market in New Zealand reached 96,480 units in Q4 2002. This is a 12.2% increase from Q3 and a 16.8% increase from the same quarter the year before.

Overall PC shipments reached 363,250 for 2002 representing 9.4% growth over 2001. The notebook market outperformed all other form factors with a massive 26.9% growth compared to 5.5% for desktops and 14.3% for Intel servers. Vendors that made the most progress included HP and Toshiba.

Q4 Market and Vendor Highlights

HP once again led the market across all form factors (desktop, notebook and Intel server) in Q4 with 36.1% market share. "However, IBM was hot on the leader's heels growing rapidly in most segments," commented Darian Bird, Hardware Analyst at IDC. Third and fourth positions were held by Dell and Toshiba respectively, with local assembler The PC Company rounding out the top five.

The launch of the Tablet PC in Q4 saw an increase in activity from several of the major portable vendors. Industries such as health, research and finance started testing the new form factor in anticipation of larger rollouts later this year. "The convertible tablet will find acceptance in the market sooner than the slate. Most users still prefer a keyboard but with the added benefit of hand writing recognition," said Darian Bird.

Outlook

Over the next twelve months activity will be stimulated by the first post-Y2K refresh cycle in the business market. However, the economy and political environment will continue to influence IT hardware purchasing. "The war in Iraq, or anticipation of it, will affect business spending in the short term. Many businesses will be wary of the outcome and how prolonged the war may be," said Darian Bird.

About IDC: IDC is the foremost global market intelligence and advisory firm helping clients gain insight into technology and eBusiness trends to develop sound business strategies. Using a combination of rigorous primary research, in-depth analysis, and client interaction, IDC forecasts local and worldwide markets and trends to deliver dependable service and client advice. More than 700 analysts in 43 countries provide global research with local content. IDC's customers comprise the world's leading IT suppliers, IT organisations, eBusiness companies and the financial community. Additional information can be found at www.idcresearch.co.nz

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