Printer market takes off in China

Plenty of printers were snapped up in China last year, with Hewlett-Packard gaining ground in the inkjet category, according to a report released on Thursday by iSuppli. Printer shipments reached 5,848,000, up 23 percent from 2002, the research firm said. The "vigorous growth" will continue this year, it predicted. Inkjet printers made up 60 percent of the printers shipped in China last year. Epson held onto first place in that market, with shipments rising 10 percent to 990,000. Second-place HP shipped 860,000 inkjet printers, up 75 percent from the previous year. The company remained the top supplier of laser printers in China, with shipments climbing 26 percent to 615,000.

As its society changes and its education system matures, China is becoming a major consumer and producer of computer products.