WebProNews

Though more shipments should take place than previously predicted, PC makers will be confounded by a slowdown in corporate replacements.

202.1 million units. That's the expected figure PC makers like Dell, HP, and others should ship in 2005. A previous forecast by premier research firm Gartner called for a slightly lower figure.

The firm revised its estimates based on greater expected sales in the mobile PC sector. Users who currently have desktop machines have been increasingly replacing them with notebook models. Prices for mobile machines have fallen as their capabilities improved, making them viable options for desktop users.

Analysts for the firm don't see dual-core or other technologies pushing sales this year, aside from the usual group of early adopters and more dedicated tech users. Dual-core computing will run ahead of the curve for some time, as software makers craft applications to take advantage of them.

But the trend of the previous two years, where replacement of older machines with newer hardware drove PC sales, will falter this year. Many firms completed upgrade plans during that timespan, and will stand pat on purchasing for the near future.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.