San Francisco  - Sales of laptop computers around the world surpassed the sales of desktop consoles for the first time in the third quarter of 2008, according to figures released Tuesday by research firm iSuppli.

Laptop shipments grew 40 per cent to 38.6 million units compared to the same period in 2007. At the same time desktop shipments dropped 1.3 per cent to 38.5 million units. Overall computer shipments grew by 15.4 per cent to 79 million units.

"This marks a major event in the PC market because it marks the start of the age of the notebook," iSuppli analyst Matthew Wilkins said in a statement. "The notebook PC is no longer a tool only for the business market or a computer for the well-off consumer; it's now a computer for everyman." (dpa)