Netbooks Save Portable PC Market

Portable PCs ­ especially netbooks ­ lifted the market in Asia/Pacific, excluding Japan, market watcher IDC reports. It was down 5 percent, both sequentially and year-on-year in Q1. But total shipments came in close to forecasts as portable PCs in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were strong, lifting that segment to a 12 percent year-on-year growth.

IDC did not break out Australian figures. It said Lenovo remained the regional market leader despite the lunar New Year break, while Hewlett-Packard was one of the few vendors to post a year-on-year gain through the difficult economic conditions.

“Even though the quarter was soft, it was [a relief] to see that the region’s market held up to forecasts, especially compared with a dismal 4Q08,” said Bryan Ma, IDC director of Asia/Pacific personal systems research.

“The economy is still showing mixed signals and recent political instability in Thailand created further uncertainty. Commercial buying is thus still likely to remain questionable this year, but hopefully consumer portables can help offset that.”

Research manager Kathy Sin says the Hong Kong PC market was one of the few with a strong showing in Q1. “As expected, mini-notebooks were a key driver; and channel stock-up in preparation for the IT Expo during the Easter holiday, as well as fulfilments in government, pushed the market to a 19 percent year-on-year growth,” she noted.

In other PC moves Lenovo and Acer have been chosen to supply 5269 computers to Tasmania’s 56 government schools, 16 independent schools and eight Catholic schools.

The deal is funded by the Rudd Government’s computers-for-schools program.
So far, only 44 of 634 computers promised to Tassie government schools in the first round have been delivered. The main delivery has no set contract amount because of the panel arrangement.

The local press reports the Tasmanian Department of Education is under fire because of claims of delays in getting computers to the schools.