By Daryll Nanayakara

SINGAPORE is expected - within four years - to be tops in the Asia-Pacific region for having the highest number of personal computers (PCs) per 1,000 population, says a research survey.

The findings are from a recently released research conducted by American information technology research and advisory company, Gartner. The article was quoted on the website of Computerworld Singapore.

The research also found that the number of PCs installed around the world had reached more than 1 billion and this number "will grow by about 12 per cent annually".

It is estimated that by 2014, the number of PCs will double what it is currently.

Accordingly, Singapore is expected to hit the three million mark for installed PCs this year. That is tantamount to 672 PCs per 1,000 population.

That number is expected to surge to 4.5 million PC units by 2012, equivalent to 948 PCs per 1,000 population.

However, despite the sharp increase in installed PCs, the PC usage growth rate is predicted to slow.

According to the article, this is due to "Singapore's status as a mature market".

Currently, such mature markets make up 58 per cent of installed PCs.

But Gartner estimates that it is the emerging markets that will dominate the world's PC market share.

Mr Georg Shiffler, Gartner's research director, was quoted as saying: "We expect per capita PC penetration in emerging markets to double by 2013. Rapid penetration in emerging markets is being driven by the explosive expansion of broadband and wireless connectivity in these markets."

darylldj@sph.com.sg