Global PC market to see little impact from Vista says survey
I am soooo surprised by this! No really, I am.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Global sales of personal computers are expected to increase 10.5 percent in 2007, getting little help from the new Windows Vista operating system, a market research firm said Tuesday.

Gartner Inc. predicted worldwide PC shipments rising to 255.7 million units in 2007. But because prices are falling this will mean only a 4.6 percent rise in revenues to 213.7 billion dollars, the survey found.

"We expect the market environment to be much the same over the near term as it has been recently," said George Shiffler, research director for Gartner's Dataquest service.

"Emerging markets and mobile PCs will continue to afford PC vendors their best opportunities for growth," he said.

"However, falling average selling prices, slowing replacement activity and further declines in mature market desk-based PC shipments will keep PC vendors under pressure to rationalize their operations or exit the market."

Gartner analysts said PC shipments will enjoy, at best, a limited boost from the release of Microsoft's new operating system, Vista, launched in January for all customers.

"Vista's effect on PC shipments ultimately depends on the number of consumers and small and mid-size businesses that find its new features compelling enough to buy a new PC," said Mikako Kitagawa, a Gartner analyst.

"While Vista includes a number of interesting features, these features just don't have enough 'must have' appeal with the average home and (business) user to spark a significant rush of new PC sales."

Gartner said it expects a minor increase in sales to the small number of consumers and small companies that put off replacing their older systems in anticipation of Vista's release.

However, the vast majority of consumers and firms are expected to maintain their gradual pace of replacement in the next several years.

Read all about it here, courtesy of news.yahoo.com

Eric