"We expect per capita PC penetration in emerging markets to double by 2013," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner, in a statement.

"Rapid penetration in emerging markets is being driven by the explosive expansion of broadband and wireless connectivity in these markets, the continuing fall in PC average selling prices and the general realization that PCs are an indispensable tool for advancement," he said.

The analyst firm said the number of PCs in use is growing at a rate of slightly less than 12 per cent annually. While millions of new PCs are shipped each year, Gartner estimates more than 180 million PCs are also replaced annually.

While some of these are resold to second owners and some are taken apart and recycled, about a fifth of these, or 35 million PCs, will be dumped into a landfill with no regard for their toxic content, according to Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner.

"It will become an even more pressing issue, especially in emerging markets, as the number of retired PCs grows with the continuing expansion of the PC installed base," she said.

Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner is expected to give a more detailed analysis on the state of the PC industry on Wednesday in Egham, United Kingdom.

Posted at 12:53PM Jun 23, 2008 by Kevin P McAuliffe in Inform  |  Comments[0]