Page 25 - ARUBA TODAY

BUSINESS Wednesday 12 april 2017
A25

Slumping PC market shows a glimmer of hope in 1st quarter

MICHAEL LIEDTKE Consumers, though, re-
AP Technology Writer main reluctant to spend
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — more money on new desk-
The long-suffering personal top or laptop computers
computer market may be when smartphones have
finally recovering from the become an additional ap-
damage inflicted by the pendage, giving people
shift to smartphones and access to email, map,
tablets, according to a re- search engines and social
port released Tuesday. networks wherever they
PC shipments in the first are. Smartphone prolifera-
quarter rose by about 1 tion is the main reason PC
percent from last year, sales are unlikely to ever
based on calculations from return to pre-slump levels.
the research firm Interna- For instance, IDC’s more
tional Data Corp. The mod- upbeat analysis of the mar-
est gain marks the first quar- ket pegged worldwide PC
terly increase in five years, shipments at 60 million dur-
a stretch that has seen ing the first quarter — about
people increasingly turn 30 percent below the 85
to mobile devices for their million shipped in the same
computing needs. period in 2011 before the in-
Another breakdown re- dustry downturn took hold.
leased by Gartner Inc. This photo shows the ASUS All-in-One PC ET2322 desktop computer, in Decatur, Ga. The long- Now, even tablets are los-
painted a gloomier picture. suffering personal computer market may be finally recovering from the damage inflicted by the ing their luster as consumers
shift to smartphones and tablets.
That research firm estimat- (AP Photo/Ron Harris) hold on to those devices for
ed PC shipments fell by 2 longer as well. Even Apple’s
percent in the first quar- About the only signs of life “Winners in the busi- the past few years, HP Inc. iPad, the market leader, is
ter. The rival reports mea- are in the corporate mar- ness segment will ultimate- and China’s Lenovo remain mired in a three-year sales
sure the market in different ket, where PCs remain an ly be the survivors in this the world’s two largest PC slump.
ways, accounting for their essential tool. Business- shrinking market,” predict- makers. Each company Although smartphone de-
contrasting conclusions. es have recently been re- ed Gartner analyst Mikako holds about 20 percent of mand also is easing, sales
Both IDC and Gartner placing larger numbers of Kitagawa. the market, according to of those devices remain on
concurred on this point: outdated machines. As has been the case for both IDC and Gartner. the upswing.q
Chinese auto sales weaken sharply in March after tax rise

JOE McDONALD ing trucks and buses, rose 3 shoring up revenue for au- 23.8 percent to 70,000 units. vehicles was cut by half.
AP Business Writer percent to 2.5 million. tomakers as demand in Chinese drivers bought a Part of that was restored
BEIJING (AP) — Growth in Auto demand was forecast other segments plunges, total of 24.4 million vehicles in January, raising the
China’s auto sales plunged to cool after Beijing raised rose 19.6 percent from a last year after a 10 percent tax from 5 percent to 7.5
in March as demand for a sales tax Jan. 1, but the year earlier to 832,300. Still, sales tax on small-engine percent.q
SUVs weakened and pur- March decline was unex- that was down from 21.6
chases of sedans con- pectedly sharp. percent growth in January-
tracted, an industry group Forecasters expect sales February.
reported Tuesday. growth in mid-single digits Sales of sedans shrank 4.9
Sales of cars, minivans and this year, down from last percent to 990,000 units,
SUVs in the biggest mar- year’s 15 percent. down from 3.8 percent
ket by number of vehicles A steady decline in sales growth in January-Febru-
sold rose 1.7 percent from growth is squeezing global ary.
a year earlier, according brands that look to China’s In the year to date, over-
to the China Association of all market growth slowed
Automobile Manufactur- crowded market to drive to 4.6 percent, down 2.1
ers. That was down from 6.3 revenue and newer local percentage points from a
percent growth in the first brands that are expanding year earlier, according to
two months of the year. abroad. CAAM.
Total vehicle sales, includ- Sales of SUVs, which are It said March exports rose