In the third quarter of 2006 the global notebook PC market experienced considerable growth in demand. This stood in contrast to the first half of the year, when several factors hampered the industry, including sluggish demand in the end-market and inventory adjustment of major branded vendors. Therefore, Taiwanese notebook PC makers were able to score over 20% sequential growth in shipment volume in the third quarter. Demand in the European market rebounded in the third quarter, with Acer, Asus, and HP experiencing strong shipment in this region. The US market also grew, stimulating shipment growth for various vendors. In the Asia-Pacific region, the October 1 holiday period in China was a major growth driver. Consequently, Taiwanese notebook PC shipment volume is estimated at 16.9 million units in the third quarter, up 26.2% year-on-year and 23.8% sequentially.