[PEN-L:28263] PC sales rise in Asia-Pacific

["Ulhas Joglekar" <joglekarulhas@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

HindustanTimes.com

PC sales rise in Asia-Pacific
AFP
Singapore, July 19

Sales of personal computers in the Asia-Pacific rose five per cent in the
second quarter, propping up global figures despite a raft of negative
factors, US-based consultancy Gartner Dataquest said today.
The Asian numbers do not include Japan where PC sales slumped 12 per cent,
while globally sales were down 0.6 per cent in the three months to June
compared to the same period last year, Gartner said.
The consultancy reported regional sales of 5.1 million units compared to
global sales of 29.9 million.
However, despite the regional upsurge there were underlying doubts whether
the performance could be sustained.
Although Asia-Pacific PC sales were up five per cent over last year,
quarter-on-quarter they were down one per cent.
"This is the second successive quarter-on-quarter decline," Gartner said in
a statement. "PC purchases continue to be cautious until signs of sustained
economic worldwide growth is observed."
The consultancy said factors weighing against the second-quarter performance
included focus on the football World Cup which contributed to a decline in
sales in South Korea, the region's second biggest market.
India-Pakistan tensions affected sales in India, unemployment concerns
restrained spending in Singapore and Hong Kong, while US accounting woes
affected stock markets in the region, signalling spending caution.

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