Despite a general downturn in shipments of desktop-computer monitors, shipments of liquid-crystal displays surged in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report.

LCD monitors, also called flat-panel monitors, accounted for 37 percent of overall desktop monitor shipments in the first quarter, up from 30 percent in the last quarter of 2002, according to a study by market research firm DisplaySearch. The number of LCD monitors shipped in the first quarter rose 8 percent from the previous quarter to 10.6 million units. DisplaySearch had forecast a 4 percent rise. The LCD monitor figures exclude all-in-one LCD and computer combinations such as the Apple iMac.

Read more: CNet News.