According to an AsiaBizTech article, sales of LCDs are up 45% from the third quarter of 1999. The reason – prices are coming down and, as a result, people are buying more notebook computers and flat-panel monitors.
Shipments are expected to increase 2,379,000 in the fourth quarter of 2000, up 75 percent in the same period from a year ago. As a result, production in the whole of 2000 will reach 7,113,000, up 46 percent from that of last year. The production of LCD monitors leveled off since the second half of 1999, however, it is recovering and started to gain momentum. This is mainly due to a big drop in module prices. The price of 15-in. LCD modules is less than the US$470 in the third quarter of 2000. Production capacity of TFT-LCDs will be boosted in 2001, and it will lead to a possible oversupply. The LCD module price will be further reduced, and it will likely be sold as a set PC system for a price of less than US$1,000. In 2001, worldwide shipments of LCD monitors will increase to as much as 14,090,000 modules, up 98 percent from a year-ago level.
