News from Computex: Notebooks and STB

According to Computex, the notebook computer industry is set for growth in 2008. Growth is being generated by decreased price differentials between notebooks and desktops. The good news for consumers is that notebooks will become cheaper. Computex reports:

"Followed by the trend of price gap reduction on Notebook (NB) and Desktop (DT) computer and demand of mobility and replacement of DT by NB, global NB market will grow 24.7% in 2008 with total shipping volumes of 11,600 units. As a result, average price of NB will be sliding gradually. In order to seize the trend of multi-media development, seventeen-inch wide screen has become the major force to surpass the volume of standard NB panel with the size of 14 and 15 inches. It is highly anticipated that wide screen panel will rise sharply to fill 89.7% of total NB monitors in 2007, and the share will further mount to 100% to force the standard type out of the market in 2008."

Computex also says the Taiwanese IP STB (internet protocol set top box) industry is expected to continue its prodigious growth. Computex reports:

"...high growth of the Taiwanese IP STB (Internet Protocol Set-Top-Box) industry is expected to continue, boosting the industry's global shipment share, due to the influx of contract-production orders from major branded vendors and more orders from US and European telecom carriers. Shipment volume of the Taiwanese IP STB industry in the fourth quarter of 2007 was estimated at approximately 1.1 million units, representing year-on-year growth of 190.5%. It is expected that shipment volume will increase 178.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2008, reaching 1.3 million units. And the IPTV development gradually has become mature in the future."