Taiwan-based Compal, the world's second-largest contract manufacturer of laptop computers, surprised the market last week by predicting that the world notebook market would grow by up to 13 per cent this year, led by a rebound in China.
Several US computer manufacturers also said they had seen signs of a recovery in Chinese demand, but were unwilling to release figures or to comment on the record.
Asustek, the Taiwanese netbook pioneer which had reported a drastic drop in fourth-quarter demand in China and elsewhere, also said it now saw signs of a turnround. “Demand has been stronger since the beginning of the year,” said Andy Lai, the company's head of notebooks in China.