Windows Mobile tops PalmOS in 2004 (Gartner)

[Colin Dunstan]

According to preliminary data released this week by Gartner, worldwide PDA shipments increased 6.6 percent to 12.3 million in 2004 compared with 2003.

According to the analyst firm, increased average selling prices drove worldwide PDA revenue to a record $4.3bn in 2004, a 16.7 per cent increase on the year before. In the fourth quarter of 2004, the average price of PDAs reached $353, up 9.4 per cent from 2003.

"The PDA market has shifted from unconnected organisers overwhelmingly purchased by consumers to a market in which 44 per cent of the devices shipped in 2004 offered integrated wireless and/or wireless Lan connectivity," said Todd Kort, principal analyst at Gartner's Computing Platforms Worldwide group.

The fourth quarter traditionally has seen large shipments of PalmOS devices, but Windows CE licensees have taken a substantial lead, and Research in Motion is poised to become the leading PDA vendor in 2005. Windows CE steadily gained share in the PDA operating system market, accounting for 37.7 per cent worldwide in 2003. In 2004, Windows CE became the top PDA operating system when it accounted for 43 per cent of shipments. Palm OS has slipped from 50 per cent in 2003 to 36.3 per cent in 2004.

"Microsoft-based PDAs have gained favor mostly due to their affinity with the Windows PC market and Microsoft's ability to attract more than 30 licensees around the globe," Mr. Kort said.

Additional information is available in the Gartner Alert RIM Sparked PDA Market to Grow 6.6 Percent in 2004.