business sentiment - Western Europe is not only struggling through excess PC

Research firm Gartner slashed its growth forecast for the global PC market this year to 3.8 percent from its earlier forecast of 9.3 percent, citing slower economies in Western Europe and the United States. "Western Europe is not only struggling through excess PC inventory, but economic upheaval as well," Mr.RanjitAtwal, research director at Gartner, said in a statement on Thursday. "U.S. consumer PC shipments were much weaker than expected in the second quarter, and indications are that back-to-school Personal Computer sales are disappointing. An increasing pessimistic economic outlook is causing both consumer and business sentiment to deteriorate in both regions. We're expecting consumer spending to tighten in response. Business spending will also tighten, but less than the consumer space."