Laptop PC shipments to rise 33% in Q2

Shipments of notebook computers will rise by a third in the second quarter, helped by new processors introduced by Intel Corp, the Market Intelligence Center (MIC, 市場情報中心) said.

Notebook PC deliveries will increase to 7.5 million units from 5.6 million in the same quarter last year, according to a report by the government-funded center. First-quarter shipments gained by a third to 6.8 million units, the MIC said.

The newest laptop processors from Intel are the main chips that drive the Santa Clara, California-based company's Centrino package for linking notebook computers to the Internet with wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, technology. Introduced this month, they are helping boost sales of laptops as consumers and companies increase spending on computer products, investors said earlier.

Inventories that rose in the first quarter among the largest laptop sellers, including Hewlett-Packard Co, will shrink, the report said.

Taiwanese companies such as Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), the world's largest notebook PC maker, account for more than three-fourths of global production. The nation's more than 20 manufacturers supply brand-name sellers such as Dell Inc, Hewlett-Packard and smaller rivals.

Personal-computer shipments, including desktops, will rise 14 percent in the second quarter as older machines are replaced and economic growth spurs new sales, researcher Gartner Inc said this month.