PC market in Asia back to pre-crisis golden age

PC market in Asia back to pre-crisis golden age

SINGAPORE (AFP): Asia's market for personal computers (PCs)
returned to pre-crisis levels in the last quarter of 1998,
boosting hopes of a rebound in the regional market this year, a
research firm said Thursday.

PC shipments in the Asia-Pacific rose seven percent from a
year ago to 2.89 million units in the three months to December, a
11-percent jump on the previous quarter, International Data Corp.
(IDC) Asia/Pacific said.

"With the fourth quarter results, there is reason for guarded
optimism looking toward 1999," said Kitty Fok, research manager
at IDC Asia/Pacific based in Singapore.

IDC, which specializes in information-technology market
research, forecast regional PC shipment growth to exceed 14
percent in 1999, as the region recovers from the economic crisis
that erupted in mid-1997.

"If market conditions in China, India and Australia remain
healthy, the regional PC market should generate solid gains in
1999, producing the highest annual shipment total to date for the
regional market," she added.

However, PC shipment growth for the whole of 1998 was
negative, with preliminary findings indicating a decline of 0.6
percent to 10.47 million PCs compared to 1997.

China, Australia and India offset heavy falls in PC shipments
in Southeast Asia and South Korea.

IDC said the PC market growth in China for 1998 stood at 29.5
percent, lower than 44 percent a year ago, but that the gains
were backed by the home market, the low PC penetration and
economic expansion.

The sharpest market losses in 1998 were seen in Indonesia,
which fell by 81.1 percent, Thailand by 40.5 percent and South
Korea by 34.3 percent.

Among the Southeast Asian countries, only Thailand and the
Philippines registered positive growth rates in their PC markets
in the fourth quarter of 1998.