Net appliances to surpass PCs in 2002

A leading technology market research firm said U.S. shipments of Internet appliances are expected to surpass those of personal computers by 2002.

International Data Corp. of Framingham, Mass. says in two years, consumer information appliances will total over 25 million units, compared to 23 million PCs.

Internet appliances - devices designed solely for accessing the Internet - typically do not have hard-drives or some of the functions of more costly PCs. They include Internet gaming consoles, Internet accessible TVs, Internet handheld devices, Web terminals, e-mail terminals and screenphones.

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