Despite the lingering effects of the recession, Canucks love their tech and gadgets – and The NPD Group has the stats to prove it.

According to the market researcher’s latest report, Canadians spent almost $3.2 billion on technology products in first four months of 2010. There were definite revenue growths in the information technology segment, though that number is down from last year. As for other areas, revenues were almost flat in consumer electronics, and video games also took a hit.

From January 1 to April 30, Canadians purchased more than 27 million IT products, though that number is down 6% from same period in 2009. They include popular items such as notebook computers, notebook accessories and external hard drives. In fact, all those items mentioned sold 20% more units than the previous year.

‘The fact that computers and IT products are leading the technology industry towards recovery is a telling sign,’ said Darrel Ryce, director, information technology & entertainment in a statement. ‘Canadians have grown so accustomed to their computers and constant connectivity that IT products are no longer viewed as optional purchases. This most recent data shows that even during periods of economic uncertainty, Canadians are willing to upgrade or replace these products.’

Consumer electronics, however, were slightly behind the IT segment, seeing a slight dip of 1% in year-over-year revenue for the period. NPD reports that CE continues to be driven by sales of home video products (particularly next-gen DVD players), TVs and camcorders, seeing unit sales take respective hikes of 56%, 20% and 12%.

It also seems the red-hot gaming segment is also experiencing its own declines, as overall video game hardware, software and accessories saw a 7% drop in unit sales, along with a 15% decline in revenue. NPD suggests that may be a sign that existing consoles have run their course in terms of adoption rates for consumers and that Canucks are ready for next-gen hardware.

If that’s the case, they just might be ready for the latest in entertainment technology that’s been unveiled at E3 Expo this week. Check Playback Daily tomorrow for a round-up of E3 highlights.