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PC shipments are expected to reach 356.7 million globally in 2011, an increase from 256.7 million in 2007, according to IDC's "Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker" report.

Portable PCs are the reason for the international market growth. Shipments are estimated to almost double to 106.1 million in 2009 from the 56.5 million shipped in 2006.

"The rate of portable PC adoption continues at a surprising pace and is a great sign of market strength," said Loren Loverde of IDC. "However, slow desktop demand and a conservative outlook for commercial upgrades reinforce our view that future replacements and Vista adoption will be spread over several years and not concentrated in 2008 and 2009."

 Bob O'Donnell of IDC said, "Despite solid growth in portable PC shipments, the slump in the commercial desktop market continues, dragging down the overall US PC market. We expect portable PC shipments to maintain double digit growth rates for the next few years, as demand for mobility continues to shift new buyers from desktops to notebooks."