PC shipments fall 8.1% in first quarter
Lower PC shipments also contributed to declining semiconductor sales.
Jim Carbone -- Purchasing, 6/22/2009 2:33:24 PM
Worldwide PC shipments declined 8.1% in the first quarter compared to the first quarter of 2008 because of weak demand for desktops, according to researcher iSuppli.
The lower PC shipments also contributed to the decline in semiconductor sales. Chip sales declined nearly 34% in the first quarter compared to the first quarter of 2008.
PC shipments in the first quarter of 2009 amounted to 66.5 million units, down from 72.3 million during the same period in 2008. Shipments were also down 14.4% from 77.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.
“The worldwide recession sparked by the credit crisis slammed PC shipments for the second quarter in succession during the first three months of 2009,” says Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst for computer platforms research at iSuppli.
The desktop segment was the primary reason for the PC industry decline in the first quarter as unit shipments dropped 23% compared to the same period in 2008. In contrast, notebook shipments grew 10% compared to the first quarter of 2008.
The decline in PC shipments impacted the semiconductor industry. Worldwide semiconductor revenue in the first quarter declined to $44.3 billion, down 18.8% from $54.5 billion in the fourth quarter. Chip revenue fell 33.8% from $66.8 billion in the first quarter of 2008.
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