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The number of personal computers in use around the world has exceeded 1 billion and will double by 2014, according to research released by IT consulting firm Gartner on Monday.
The report, which counted installed machines instead of laptops and desktops sold, said that at a 12 per cent annual increase would amount to more than 2 billion PCs in use by 2014.
Emerging markets will account for 70 per cent of the next billion PCs to come online, Gartner analysts suggested. They named dropping prices and improved internet access as factors driving that trend. Fifty-eight percent of today's PCs are owned by US, European and Japanese users, Gartner found.
This year, some 180m computers, or 16 per cent of those currently in use globally, will be retired. "We estimate a fifth of these, or some 35m PCs, will be dumped into landfill with little or no regard for their toxic content," Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.
She also pointed out that the challenge of safely disposing of electronic waste will expand in developing markets in the coming years. Take a look at this story on recycling old tech like computers and mobile phones.
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