科技英语新闻:Computer sales dips for first time since 2009

BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Computer sales declined in the first three months of this year for the first time since 2009 worldwide.

PC sales fell 1.1 percent in the first quarter to 84.3 million worldwide, according to tech research firm Gartner Wednesday, well short of its forecast for 3 percent growth.

The dip was the first since the second quarter of 2009, when most of the world was still in the grip of economic turmoil.

"Although the first quarter is traditionally a slow one for PC sales, these shipment results indicate potential sluggishness, not just a normal seasonal slowdown," said Gartner, in a statement.

Consumers select IT products at an IT fair named "Sham Shui Po computer festival" in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 15, 2011. The eight-day IT fair kicked off here Monday. Some 600,000 people are predicted to visit the fair.

Weak demand for consumer PCs was the biggest drag on the market, according to Gartner principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa.

"Low prices for consumer PCs, which had long stimulated growth, no longer attracted buyers," Kitagawa said.

"Instead, consumers turned their attention to media tablets and other consumer electronics."

After Apple's second-generation iPad was released in February, many consumers either switched allegiances or simply held back from buying PCs, according to the analyst.

Japan was a particularly weak spot, with PC sales falling 13 percent in the quarter, as people focused on getting back to normal after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami rather than spending money on new technology.