In comparison to the sluggish performance in the first half of 2006, end-market demand for notebook PCs was on the upswing in the first half of 2007, due to strong demand in both mature and emerging markets. In addition, as some brands aggressively revamped their product strategies, coupled with newly-added features, global notebook PC shipments continued rising in the second quarter, with shipment volume reaching about 21 million units, up over 30% year-on-year.