The shipments of notebook PCs with LED backlights reached 3.7 million in the final quarter of 2008 – a 62% rise on the preceding quarter. 13.4% of notebooks shipped in the closing quarter of the year featured LED backlighting technology, compared with a market share of only 6.3% in the third quarter, according to a recent report.

The figures demonstrate that although sales of notebook PCs slowed dramatically at the end of last year, those models that were fitted with LEDs became increasingly popular. Notebook PCs have typically used cold-cathode fluorescent lamps to backlight the LCD screen. But trends towards lighter, thinner and more energy-efficient models have opened up this application to white LEDs.

The report noted with the new LED notebooks released by some of the industry's leading brands, including Acer, Dell and HP, the sharp uptick in adoption will continue throughout this year. Nearly one-quarter of all notebooks shipped in the first three months of 2009 are now expected to include LED backlights. And by the end of this year, more than half of all notebooks shipped will feature the energy-saving technology.