The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) released a report on the market scale of information equipment, including displays and printers, for 2001 and growth expectations in the period until 2004. Japan's information equipment market for 2001 declined both in value and units. JEITA defines information equipment to include printers, displays (CRT and LCD monitors), hard disc drives (HDDs), optical disc devices (excluding DVD-ROM devices), scanners and optical character readers (OCRs). The printer market showed a decline for the first time in seven years.

Shipments of printers declined 4 percent in units to 7.7 million units. This was due to a 5 percent fall in shipments of inkjet printers, which account for 80 percent of all printer shipments. Shipments of displays and optical disc devices decreased 12 percent and 14 percent to 7.03 million units and 18.10 million units, respectively.

JEITA foresees steady growth for the information equipment market, excluding HDDs, after 2002. JEITA expects DVD recorders and complex-function printers (printers with a copy machine function and facsimile function) to enjoy brisk growth.

As for DVD recorder shipments for 2002, JEITA expects this product category to increase 210 percent on a year-on-year basis to 1.3 million units.

Shipments of complex-function printers for 2001 increased 20 percent year-on-year to 300,000 units. According to the report, such shipments will likely increase 45 percent to 430,000 units in 2002.

The report says shipments of HDDs will rise after 2003, following a decline in 2002. JEITA expects shipments of HDDs for game machines, automotive equipment and information home appliances to increase. Also, JEITA estimates this type of HDD will account for about 10 percent of all HDD shipments.