PCs to hit billion mark next year

And while it's taken 27 years to reach that figure, it predicts that by 2015 there will be two billion PCs in use, that number boosted by BRIC - the name the industry gives for Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Vendors will be forced to make volume launches into emerging matters and life cycles for PCs will be longer. It thinks that vendors will have to band together to scale production for these emerging regions.

The idea of rivals Dell and HP banding together is an interesting notion but as they are fighting for market share to the death, we can't see that happening any time soon. µ