Apple vaults to third in PC shipments, behind HP and Dell

The worldwide PC market grew at a healthy 15.3 per cent in the second quarter but the weak economy means tough times and possibly a wave of consolidation may lie ahead for PC makers, according to surveys released Wednesday.

The weak economy has already started taking its toll on the U.S., where belt-tightening among businesses and consumers has led to PC shipment growth in the low single digits, according to figures from IDC. Growth in Asia was roughly 15 per cent, but strong laptop sales helped EMEA report strong double-digit growth, IDC said.

Gartner, which also released its figures Wednesday, said the weak economy has forced PC makers to slash prices in order to stay competitive. That’s good news for end users but could mean the end for smaller PC makers if the trend continues.

“The industry could ultimately see a significant wave of consolidation if stronger vendors continue to press their pricing advantage.” Gartner said.

The leading PC makers can reduce their costs by working with suppliers to get better deals, but smaller PC vendors don’t have that type of leverage, said David Daoud, an IDC research manager.

U.S. PC shipments grew just 3.6 per cent in the quarter to 17 million units, down from IDC’s original prediction of 3.8 per cent, Daoud said. People are spending more on essentials like gas and food and have little money for discretionary items like PCs and consumer electronics gear, he said.

Shipments in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) grew 23.5 per cent, while shipments in Asia-Pacific climbed 18.1 per cent, according to Gartner. Notebook sales were particularly strong, growing 40 per cent worldwide, it said.

According to Gartner’s survey, Apple overtook Acer in the U.S. to take third place behind Dell and HP, shipping 1.4 million units compared to Acer’s 1.33 million. IDC had Acer and Apple neck and neck.

Worldwide, HP retained its spot as top PC vendor, shipping 13.32 million units for an 18.9 per cent share of the market, up 16.8 per cent year-over-year. Dell, in second place, shipped 11.56 million units for a 16.4 per cent market share and a 21.4 per cent year-over-year increase. Acer witnessed a sharp 63.5 per cent year-over-year rise, putting it in third place with 6.97 million units shipped. Lenovo and Toshiba came fourth and fifth, respectively.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

CDN Staff
CDN Staffhttps://channeldailynews.com
For over 25 years, CDN has been the voice of the IT channel community in Canada. Today through our digital magazine, e-mail newsletter, video reports, events and social media platforms, we provide channel partners with the information they need to grow their business.

Related Tech News

Featured Tech Jobs

 

CDN in your inbox

CDN delivers a critical analysis of the competitive landscape detailing both the challenges and opportunities facing solution providers. CDN's email newsletter details the most important news and commentary from the channel.