PC Shipments Up Less Than Expected

Worldwide personal computer shipments rose less than expected during the third quarter, and orders by companies replacing older models won’t rise significantly until next year, Dataquest Inc. said. Shipments rose 15.2% from a year ago to 33.9 million units, less than the 17% growth predicted, Dataquest analyst Charles Smulders said. Another researcher, IDC, reported third-quarter growth of 18% to 33.3 million units, in line with its forecast. The “relatively strong” third-quarter results suggest that some vendors built up inventory, making for a rough fourth quarter, Smulders said.