AN IDC REPORT said that while sales of chips for all classes of PCs will grow by 18 per cent during 2004, sales will flatten to only an average of around eight per cent growth between 2005 to 2008. CPUs for notebook machines, which are also set to grow by a double digit rate between now and 2008, while desktop CPUs will only average around three per cent during that period.
Crossover from desktop to notebook CPUs is likely to happen in 2008 to 2009, according to IDC. And wireless chips and chipsets will see the biggest revenue growth, spurred by sales of the Intel Centrino. Intel took the shrewd step of pouring hundreds of millions into branding the Centrino combo during 2004, with the result that many now identify the firm with the continuing push into wi-fi.