The greater Chinese notebook industry scored strong shipment growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 thanks to strong peak-season demand in North America and Western Europe as well as stable growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Shipments were further driven along by the launch of Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, although some key components were in short supply in this quarter. Usually, shipment volume would decline in December compared with November. In 2009, however, the scale of decline in December was relatively moderate, mainly owing to the fact that various branded customers had advanced shipment delivery in anticipation of new products equipped with Intel's new Calpella platform in the first quarter of 2010. As a result, some contract manufacturers recorded especially strong shipment performance in the fourth quarter. All told, the greater Chinese notebook PC shipment volume reached approximately 34.99 million units in the fourth quarter of 2009, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 15.0%.