Consumer confidence in consumer electronics climbed in March as confidence in the overall economy continued to drop, according to the latest figures released today from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and CNET.

The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Technology Expectation (ICTE) increased in March to 83.6, up nearly two points from last month. The ICTE, which measures consumer expectations about technology spending, is up more than 16.4 points from this time last year.

“This month, pre-orders for the anticipated iPad sold out. There is still a desire to spend money on consumer electronics, despite the overall cautiousness of consumers towards the economy,” said Anne Claudio, vice president of research at CBS Interactive.

The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE) fell to 163 points this month, its lowest point since July 2008, when it was 162.2 points. The ICE, down 2.2 points from last month, measures consumer expectations about the broader economy. It is down more than ten points from this time last year.

“The overall mood of consumers continues to be wary on the state of the economy,” said Claudio. “The uncertainty of the job market is top of mind for consumers and they will be closely watching their personal financial budgets over the next couple of months.”