The sovereign debt crisis in Europe is apparently starting to have an effect on consumer confidence. Europeans don’t seem too keen to buy gadgets or anything else for that matter.
According to research firm Gartner, PC shipments in Western Europe fell 11.4 percent in the third quarter, with overall shipments totaling 14.8 million units. As expected, netbooks were the hardest hit. Shipments declined by 40 percent, as tablets take their place in the fad department. Notebook shipments dropped 12.6 percent and desktops fared somewhat better, with an 8.7 drop.
It is hardly surprising that the consumer market segment saw the greatest decline, dropping 18.8 percent compared to Q3 2011. Analysts see few signs of recovery, as the continent is shaken by its deepest economic crisis in decades.
More here.