Bleak outlook for 2009 gadget biz

No surprises here: Consumers are overwhelmingly saying that they intend to curtail gadget and electronics purchases this year, with over 60 percent of those responding to a Forrester Research survey saying that they'll be trimming the amount they spend on tech gear this year.

Forrester broke down the market into 10 product types, and for every one of them, at least 50 percent of consumers said they were less likely to buy them. The industries facing the worst outlook: Handheld game consoles, satellite radio, and smart phones, each scoring well over 60 percent in the "less likely to buy category." The best off: Mobile (non-smart) phones, HDTVs, and laptops, in that order. These products are facing a mere 50 percent (or a slightly higher portion) of buyers who say they're less likely to purchase one in 2009.

In comparison, only seven percent of respondents said they were more likely to buy a new HDTV this year.

If there's a bright spot in the survey, it's in core essentials like phone and Internet services. The vast majority of those surveyed said they would not be cutting back on these services no matter how bad the economy gets.