In brief: Netbook sales slow, but PCs still flying out doors

Roughly 83 million PCs were shipped in the second quarter of 2010, according to the latest figures from analyst firms IDC and Gartner.

The total shipments for the quarter are equal to a year-on-year growth of between 20 and 22 per cent from last year, resulting in the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth for the PC market. Growth in the Asia-Pacific market was particularly fast, at a 35 per cent year-on-year increase in shipments, or 27.8 million units, largely thanks to increased sales of desktop PCs in May and June.

Netbook sales slowed significantly to 20 per cent growth, according to Gartner, compared to the 70 per cent consecutive growth seen in the market from the previous two years, most likely due to a continued lull in consumer spending.

"The PC market remains robust, and in a recovery phase, despite challenges to a broader economic recovery, such as slow job growth and a more conservative outlook in Europe and Asia/Pacific," IDC research analyst, Jay Chou, said in a statement.

"The factors which led to the recent PC rebound – an aging commercial installed base, a proliferation of low-cost media-centric PCs, and low PC penetration through much of the world – remain key drivers going forward."