Fujitsu debuts naked-eye 3D PC

Computer builder Fujitsu has revealed that it will be shipping the world's first desktop computer with a naked-eye 3D display, reveals The Inquirer.

Fujitsu's Esprimo FH99/CM is something of a departure for a company that is known for shifting anonymous beige boxes, the report says. Aside from the headline naked-eye 23-inch 1080p monitor, the system boasts Intel's Core I 2630QM 2GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, a 2TB hard disk drive and a Blu-ray optical drive that supports 3D.

Fujitsu's claim of being the first outfit to ship a naked-eye 3D desktop primarily hinges on the fact that few computer makers think it is good business sense to bundle such an expensive monitor with a PC. Fujitsu will be asking $3 100 for the Esprimo FH99/CM when it hits US stores next month.

Global personal-computer shipments rose 2.7% in the fourth quarter, missing projections, as consumers held back on holiday purchases and chose Apple's iPads over desktops and notebooks, IDC says, reveals Bloomberg.

Hewlett-Packard retained the industry's top spot, even though its market share dropped 0.7% to 19.5% from a year earlier, IDC said in a statement. Dell was second with 12.1%, and Acer was third with 10.6%.

David Daoud, an analyst at IDC, says the research firm had projected worldwide shipments growth of 5.5%. US consumers were reluctant to buy new PCs as they waited for clearer signs of an economic recovery and because their current machines are good enough for most tasks, he says.

Compal Electronics expects to ship 3.8 million tablet PCs in 2011, the largest volume among ODM makers, according to company president and CEO Ray Chen, reports Digitimes.

Demand for tablet PCs will grow quarterly at the expense of conventional notebooks through 2011, Chen says, adding global tablet PC sales in 2011 will reach 60 million units, 70-75% of which will be iPads. Of the Compal-produced tablet PCs in 2011, 90% will be ARM-based, Chen notes.

Processors account for the largest portion of the production costs for desktops and notebooks, followed by operating systems and LCD panels, Chen indicates. But for tablet PCs, touch panels may be the most expensive component, Chen says.