IDC: PC sales up in Germany by 13.8%

PC shipments in the third quarter rose 13.8% to 1.8 M units compared to the same period the year before, according to market research published Tuesday by IDC. Leading the charge were notebook computers, which increased 58.2% to 650,000 units year on year. Strong demand for notebooks, particularly in the consumer market, penalized desktop computer sales, which dropped 2.6% to 1.11 million units year on year. For 2003, IDC is now forecasting 10% growth - the first growth in two years. In 2001, after the Internet bubble burst, PC sales in Germany plummeted 8.1% and again 2.1% the following year.