The NPD Group reported that PC unit volume shipments rose 10.2 percent during the first quarter, with falling average selling prices holding down revenue growth to less then 2 percent.
The study noted that shipments remained strong despite the very robust sales that took place during the holiday selling season and the fact that the first quarter is traditionally slow for the PC sector.
“Aggressive pricing by manufacturers helped boost notebook sales,” said Steve Baker, industry analysis VP for NPD. “When you factor in the convenience of a notebook, wireless capabilities and the fact that consumers could purchase one for around $1,000, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity.”
Notebook sales continued to dominate their desktop cousins, with dollar volume hitting $3.3 billion for the quarter, up 12 percent, even as average pricing hit an all-time low of $1,100. Notebook unit volume jumped 29.2 percent compared to the same period in 2005.
Desktop sales generated $2.5 billion in sales, a 10.2 percent drop. NPD found that just over 50 percent of desktops sold at retail carried a price tag below $600. However, even these low price points could not help boost unit volume, which dipped 2.6 percent for the quarter.
