You're probably sick of hearing that things are about to get better in the IT world. Well, so are we, but there is concrete evidence out there now that things are changing as the soured economy gives way to a rebound.

Computer World has come up with a list of 10 signs pointing to an IT upturn. Take a look at evidence from the third quarter and you'll feel optimistic, too. Here are a few of the indications:

• The Obama stimulus plan has set aside billions of dollars for clean technology. That's already being reflected in companies that deal with this industry. For example, SunPower Corp's third quarter revenue was $466 million, compared with $298 in the second quarter.
• Venture capital investments are increasing. In Q3, there was a 17 percent increase to $4.8 billion in 637 deals, driven by clean tech investments.
• Hard drive maker Western Digital Corp. said last week that finished its most recent quarter with 44.1 million hard drive shipments, compared with 39.4 million shipments same quarter last year.
• Apple Computer Inc. sold 3.05 million Macs during the third quarter, a 17 percent increase over the year-ago quarter, providing evidence that for consumers, some things are indispensable.

The beauty of Computer World's list is that it looks at specific companies to see how well individual firms are doing. And it is finding many that are doing quite well, thank you very much. That doesn't mean the recession is over or that it's time to let your guard down. It just means that the news is no longer grim and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

For more on 10 ways the tech economy is getting better:
- see this Computerworld.com article

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