Australian PC market down but not out

The Australian PC Market closed with 12 percent growth in 2008 over 2007. In 2009, the expectation is that the market will continue to see positive growth, although much lower than previous years, said IDC.

Felipe Rego, associate analyst, PC Hardware at IDC, said, the current trend shows the Australian client PC market growing by 1 percent in 2009 over 2008 as the economy slowly starts to recover.

"A tight economic environment coupled with low business spending drove the overall market down," he said.

"This isn't a surprise given the low business confidence levels of that period. The consumer market was the only area showing positive growth.

"Retail business is still very positive though, particularly in the notebook form factor."

IDC said there would be a shake-up in the market as lighter, thinner and more affordable notebooks evolve.

The growth of the notebook market is expected to continue not only because of the mini-notebooks growing above market average but also due to new light and thin notebook platforms expected to help push the market up even further, said Rego.
 
"The popularity of mini-notebooks helped avoid a further decline in the overall PC market," he said.

"However, the new light, thin and affordable notebook platforms that are coming into the market have the potential to contribute to another revolution similar to the mini-notebook one, especially with the expectation of the Windows 7 launch which will make them ideal Christmas gifts."
  
IDC's 1Q09 Australia Quarterly PC Tracker also revealed; Hewlett-Packard continues to be market leader with 20 percent market share, followed by Dell and Acer with 17 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

The analyst firm believes commercial market segments, including Education and Government segments contracted by 12 percent over the same period of 2008.

Overall PC prices have increased by 4.7 percent over the same period of 2008 even with a strong growth in mini-notebooks which normally cost 60 percent less than the average PC, stated IDC.