Total PC sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will be up 14.4 per cent in 2008, with notebooks driving growth, according to researcher IDC.

Consumer notebook sales were up 46 per cent in 2007 compared with the previous year, as notebooks overtook desktops for the first time in the EMEA market.

Laptop sales will be key to this year's growth, says Karine Paoli, associate vice president for IDC's EMEA personal computing group.

"IDC expects 2008 to be another buoyant year for the EMEA PC market," she said.

"Notebooks will remain a key driver across the region and further market commoditisation will fuel a solid 14.4 per cent growth for total PC sales in EMEA expected to cross the 100 million mark."

Last year, total EMEA PC shipments were up 15.9 per cent at 88 million, including 21 million consumer notebooks and 16.5 million consumer desktops.