Heavy flooding in Thailand will directly impact PC markets in the first half of next year, though they will not hamper this holiday season's sales significantly, according to IDC.

The research firm said that PC shipments could fall more than 20 percent from previous forecasts in the first quarter of 2012.

Thailand accounted for 40 percent to 45 percent of worldwide hard drive (HDD) production in the first half of 2011. As of early November, about half of this capacity has been directly impacted by the flooding waters. Another problem that would plague this industry in Thailand for some time would be work stoppages due to poor access and power outages.

However, the full impact of the damage to HDD industry factories cannot be ascertained until the flood waters recede.

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