While purchasing desktop PCs has been a widespread trend for some time now, their popularity has been diminishing as the number of users on the go requiring mobility has risen.

 

IDC (News - Alert) is reporting as part of its U.S. Quarterly PC Tracker that now, for the first time, notebook shipments into the U.S. market have surpassed desktops. For the third quarter of 2008 notebook shipments surpassed 50 percent and hit a solid 55.2 percent according to their preliminary calculations.

 

Not affected by the current financial crisis, the surge in purchases are owed to an active back to school season with over 9.5 million units shipping in the third quarter. According to IDC's data, this represents an 18 percent growth both years-over-year and on a sequential basis.

 

"The consumer market continued to be the top driving factor in the notebook offensive but the commercial sector played a critical role too" said David Daoud, research manager, U.S. Quarterly PC Tracker and Personal Systems at IDC.

 

Mobility has become a must even amongst consumers who want access to communications and data on the go, wherever and whenever it is needed. The notebook computer coupled with a wireless connection provides this ability.

 

"The consumer market has long favored notebooks, with mobile ratios exceeding the 70% mark. So it is clear that the small and mid-markets, as well as the enterprise and public sector buyers, are seeing good value in mobility," said Daoud.

 

Most desktop and notebook vendors showed greater volumes shipped in this quarter and with opportunities available from a new multi-PC-per user base, more notebook-vendors also are entering the U.S. market. This surge in vendors will also increase competition and can lead to lower prices as well a more demand.

"Looking ahead, while mobility will remain a leading growth factor, the economy will be a major wild card in the short to mid term, Daoud said."Prolonged economic tension could have an adverse effect on the PC space leading to reduced growth, but the good news is that virtually every buyer considers PCs as must-have products and not a secondary wish-list item."