PC Sales Surge Again

Boosted by strong consumer purchases of laptops, global shipments of personal computers grew by about 14%-15% in the third quarter year over year, according to two prominent research firms.

The precise growth numbers differ slightly, with Gartner estimating shipments grew by 14.1% and IDC at 15.7%. But the takeaway is the same: At long last, the PC industry is seeing a surge in demand.

"Aided by modest but sustained economic recovery in most regions, an aging base, and great features and deals, the PC market finally got the boost everyone's been looking for," said Roger Kay, vice president of client computing at IDC. "Mobility is all the rage, but even desktops seem to have done reasonably well." ...