Analysts' uncertainty over future of PC sales

Research houses IDC and Dataquest have offered conflicting opinions over future sales of PCs.
The research firms disagreed as to whether weaker sales of corporate PCs in the first quarter of 2000 could be an indication of a rough patch ahead.

IDC speculated that the quieter-than-usual period may have been a result of Y2K fears, with the second quarter already looking brighter.

Dataquest, a unit of Gartner Group, was less optimistic about future sales. A report published yesterday says PC vendors will need to create new sales strategies in order to avoid possible problems in the future.

Overall, the global PC market continued to grow in the first quarter of 2000, but both firms concluded that growth was slower in comparison to previous years.

Dell and Hewlett Packard topped sales figures. Dell's growth rose 0.8 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year to 10.5 per cent.

However, IBM and Gateway were both victims of declining sales.