[ TECH BRIEFS ]

PC shipment pickup seen

Worldwide personal-computer shipments will rise more than expectedthis year, gaining 12.7 percent as laptop demand surges, according toresearcher Gartner Inc. PC unit shipments will rise to 206.6 millionin 2005, with revenue totaling $202.7 billion, Gartner said Monday.In May, Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner predicted 10.2 percent PCshipment growth. Lower prices and enhanced wireless Internet hookupsare driving demand for notebook computers, bolstering PC shipments,Gartner said. Dell Inc., the world's biggest PC maker, said thismonth that shipments of laptops increased 47 percent in its latestquarter. Worldwide laptop unit shipments are forecast to …