Worldwide Semiconductor Sales Up 6.5 Pct

By Geoff Duncan August 1, 2005

The Semiconductor Industry Association announced today that sales of semiconductors worldwide were up by 6.5 percent in the first half of 2005 five compared to the first half of 2004, accounting for a total of $109 billion in total sales. Although sales declined slightly in June 2005 compared to May 2005, June sales were still nearly 1 percent higher than sales in June 2004, accounting for over $18 billion around the world.

Although the second quarter of 2005 was 2.1 percent weaker than the first, most industry segments saw sales above expectations for the second quarter of 2005, including wired and wireless communications, automotive applications, and personal computers. The SIA expects sales worldwide to reach a total of $226 billion as markets enter the historically strong third quarter of the year, which includes back-to-school purchases and presages the holiday season. The SIA also notes the semiconductor manufacturing capacity increased in the second quarter of 2005 after two sequential quarters of decline, indicating makers are increasing output in the third quarter to match utilization rates in industry.

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

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Dell XPS 14 lifestyle view showing laptop on coffee table.

Thinking about heading to Best Buy some time soon? If your answer is "No" then you should seriously reconsider, or at least check out the deals online. The Best Buy 3-Day sale is here, goes through Sunday, and its been making us take a huge interest in Best Buy's laptop deals. As it so turns out, right now is just a great time to get one. And, as hard as it has been to do so, we've narrowed the 3-Day Sale's laptops down to just five — split across a wide variety of prices and primary functions — that we think you should strongly consider.
HP 14-inch Chromebook — $159, was $299

If you're looking for budget laptops, Chromebooks are usually a great place to start. They're just cheaper than other laptops on many fronts, though there is some pared-down functionality when you compare them to laptops at large. This 14-inch laptop with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC memory has great cloud storage and is perfect for getting you through documents, web browsing, and enjoying videos on YouTube. If you have some difficulty thinking about what else you can do on a laptop but those things, and you're not alone, this laptop was pretty much made for you. Due to the excellent price point and low chances for distraction, this is an excellent laptop for college students looking to get something extra to throw in their backpack.

Computing

Our 5 favorite tablet deals in Best Buy’s ‘3-Day Sale’

Apple iPad 9th Gen. 2021 on porch with toys.

If you weren't aware, the Best Buy 3-Day Sale is going on now. While the name is a considerably less flashy than Amazon's Prime Day, it does make immediate sense. There's a sale going on at Best Buy, and it lasts... for three days, ending Sunday. During this sale, you can find a number of classic Best Buy items — with everything from the best laptops to the best tablets — marked down in price. Here, we investigate the tablets that make up the 3-Day Sale and highlight the five we like the most, based on discount and quality of the product, while also showing a wide variety of tablets and price ranges.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ — $190, was $220

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Computing

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Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 placed on a desk.

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HP Victus 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop — $550, was $800

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