LED-backlit LCD monitors expected to become mainstream in 2011

So we just got started in 2010. CES is coming up and there's a lot of new tech to be showcased there. But what are market sources in Taiwan and China dreaming up while seated in their big comfy office chairs? That LED-backlit monitors will become mainstream, effectively replacing and phasing out CCFL-backlit monitors in desktop PC usage by the year 2011. Currently, there are only a handful of LED-backlit LCD monitors available in the market, and I can tell you, they are not sold in the same price level as their CCFL-backlit counterparts. This LED-backlit monitor from LG called the W2286L only comes with a 22-inch LCD screen that has a native resolution of 1680x1050 and yet it sells for a not-so-sweet 13,000 Pesos -- about 4,000 Pesos more expensive than its most expensive counterpart from Dell (the E228WFP). Go figure. In any case, LED does offer some significant improvements over CCFL, so I hope it does become mainstream (and that prices drop accordingly) in the near future.

Source: [DigiTimes]

Gartner forecasts PC shipments to grow this year thanks to netbooks, not Windows 7

The recent widespread adoption of netbooks (such as the LG X120) and other mobile PCs has driven global PC sales enough for Gartner Inc. to change their minds about their current outlook on the global PC market. Earlier this year, Gartner predicted an 11.9% decrease in total PC shipments for 2009, but now have changed their forecasts to say that PC sales will likely reach 162 million units this year for an increase of 15.4% over sales in 2008.