Due to the impact of the global financial crisis, brand-name vendors and contract manufacturers faced a lack of confidence in the global market in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, and many companies tended to be conservative. In the fourth quarter of 2008, end-market inventory levels had declined to low levels, but from January rush orders emerged which stimulated shipment. As a result, shipment volume of the Greater Chinese notebook PC industry in the first quarter of 2009 is estimated at 24.99 million units, falling 17.9% sequentially, which was better than the originally expected sequential decline of 18.1%.