“The annals of auto manufacturing are filled with legendary but
long-departed names: Studebaker, Duesenberg, Packard and Rambler.
As the personal computer industry endures one of its toughest
periods, experts are beginning to wonder whether the PC graveyard
might soon include such names as Gateway, Compaq or even IBM.”
“If PC sales to consumers and businesses continue to deteriorate
as sharply as they have over the last several months, the industry
might ship fewer desktop computers in 2001 than it did last year.
That would mark the first time the industry has experienced
negative growth year-to-year since PCs hit the marketplace two
decades ago….”
“The reason is the sharp slowdown in sales of personal computers
that began in 2000 and is expected to continue through this year.
Although analysts expect as many as 165 million desktop PCs,
notebooks and workstations to be sold this year, that’s a scant 3%
more than the 160 million sold in 2000.”