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Putting in another way, a 12 per cent annual increase would amount to more than 2 billion PCs in use by 2014, according to the report, which only counted installed machines rather than laptops and desktops sold.

Emerging markets will account for 70 per cent of the next billion PCs to come online says Gartner, who noted that dropping prices and improved Internet access are factors driving this trend.

Furthermore, 58 cent of today's PCs are owned by U.S., European, and Japanese users, Gartner also found, adding that in 2008, some 180 million computers, or 16 per cent of those currently in use globally, will be retired.