IDC: PC shipment in Asia rises

A significant portion of this growth came in the fourth quarter, when PC shipment in the region (excluding Japan) reached 6.8 million units, a 4 percent increase compared with the third quarter and a 15 percent jump over the year-ago period.

Australia, China and India were the main contributors to the regional PC sector. The Australian market, for instance, benefited from strong education and consumer purchases. In addition, demand for the recently launched Tablet PCs among early adopters was "surprisingly strong" especially in Australia and Singapore, said the research firm.

Going forward, the market is expected to expand 16 percent this year, said Bryan Ma, IDC Asia-Pacific's personal systems research manager. "Falling component prices, new technology introductions and an increase in IT spending should help to continue this gradual growth in the upcoming quarters, although global security uncertainties could also mute such expectations," said Ma.

ZDNet Australia's staff reported from Sydney.