Global demand for notebook computers may grow gradually this quarter after next month’s launch of Intel Corp’s next-generation processor, codenamed Haswell, according to research released yesterday.
The Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute (MIC, 資策會) said shipments of notebooks in the Greater China region could grow 5.4 percent quarter-on-quarter to 37.99 million units this quarter from 36.05 million last quarter.
In the first three months, notebook shipments in the Greater China region fell 16.6 percent quarter-on-quarter and 13.7 percent year-on-year.
“Decline in notebook shipment during the January-to-March period this year was attributable to sluggish market demand and lukewarm market reaction to Microsoft Corp’s new Windows 8 operating system,” MIC analyst Jane Yeh (葉貞秀) said.
“Demand for new notebook models may increase, with Intel ready to introduce its new Haswell platform. With yield rate of touch-enabled sensors used in notebook panels and component shortage issues solved, touch-enabled notebook models may account for a larger share of the total notebook market and drive up average selling prices,” she added.
MIC said there still is room for prices of notebooks to increase, despite shipments of smaller notebooks decreasing and DRAM prices rising.
However, because demand for notebooks has not improved significantly and components used in touchscreen models are still in short supply, the growth potential for touchscreen notebooks remains limited, the research said.
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