Gartner Inc. predicts PC shipments will grow in the 4th quarter after a year of declines

Gartner predicts PC shipment growth in 4Q

STAMFORD, Conn. — Gartner Inc. analysts are predicting this holiday season will be sweeter than last year’s for the PC industry.

Computer makers bank on holiday shopping for a large portion of their annual sales. The fourth quarter of 2008 was the industry’s worst in about six years. But the technology research group predicts some growth in PC shipments in the final three months of this year, though it did not say how much.

PC shipments dropped about 7 percent in the first quarter, and Gartner says it expects 10 percent declines from 2008 levels in the next two quarters.

For 2010, the analysts’ forecast calls for PC shipments to rise about 10 percent from this year.