Spotlight: Global PC Sales Growth Expected to Lag 1997

Global sales of personal computers are expected to rise 13.4% in 1998, down from 15.2% in 1997, as strong demand in the U.S. and Europe should offset weakness in Asia, said International Data, a Mountain View-based market researcher. It forecasts 90.6 million PCs will be sold, compared with 79.9 million in 1997. The U.S. market will rise 15.4%, compared with 19% last year, while the Western European market will rise 13.8%, down from 14.6%. The Asian market will rise 6.9%, versus 1997’s 16.5% growth.