Early Adopters Not Enthused About Multimedia Handsets -- The cellular phone industry's hype machine has been in high gear over innovative music- and TV-centric devices and services, but a new In-Stat report shows that some early-adopters are lukewarm about them. Fewer than 9 percent of respondents to an In-Stat early-adopter consumer survey were very or extremely interested in buying a cell phone capable of playing MP3 or other music files, and less than 11 percent were very or extremely interested in broadcast TV functionality. Only in the past year or so have smartphones started to build a significant market, after several years of hits and misses. A similar road is likely ahead for multimedia cell phones. Some mobile programming is quite clear: news and weather are winners.
The personal computing device market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience despite recent fluctuations. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), global PC shipments are projected to reach 273 million units in 2025—a modest but significant 3.7 percent increase over the previous year. This growth reflects the market's adaptation to post-pandemic realities and evolving technology needs across the globe. Personal Computing Market Development While COVID-19 initially triggered unprecedented demand for computing devices during the shift to remote work and online education, we now see a more measured growth pattern. IDC has slightly adjusted its projections downward, indicating a market growing steadily rather than explosively. "In light of so many challenges around the world, Japan is a much-needed source of double-digit growth this year. Enterprises there as well as SMBs have been quickly replacing PCs in advance of the Window...