According to market research company IDC the number of handheld PDAs shipped worldwide declined 9.3 percent in the second quarter of 2002 as compared with the same quarter last year.

As reported by PC World, IDC said in a recent release that about 2.6 million PDAs were shipped in the second quarter, down from just under 2.9 million in the same quarter last year.

Apparently the weak economy has caused PDA shipments to slip by nearly 10%. Until the economy picks up, PDA sales are expected to largely remain flat.