Global PC shipments up 12.5pc


20 Jul 2007

Worldwide PC shipments grew by 12.5pc in the second quarter of 2007, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.

HP, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and Acer have the largest global market share respectively.

HP has overtaken Dell in terms of PC shipments compared with the second quarter of 2006. HP, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and Acer had the largest share of shipments during the quarter, at 19.3pc, 16.1pc, 8.3pc, 7.2pc and 4.1pc respectively.

“This was another strong quarter that sets the stage for solid growth in the second half of 2007 and 2008,” said Loren Loverde, director of IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. “The success of HP and Acer as well as the rapid changes occurring at Dell in recent quarters underline just how dynamic the PC market is these days. Despite the temptation to simplify, the market is not just about replacing systems at the lowest cost. System design, customer service, channel coverage, and market expansion are all playing key roles in winning business.”

In EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), desktop volume increased only minimally as the shift to portables continues and corporate refreshes remained moderate.

Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) returned as the fastest growing region with volume increasing more than 20pc from the same quarter one year ago. A competitive market in the US also helped boost overall growth with other regions expanding in line with or slightly behind forecasts, said IDC.

“The quarter ended better than expected, driven by intense channel activity and vendors’ strategic adjustments,” said David Daoud, manager of personal computing and PC Tracker Programs at IDC. “The indirect channels, for instance, have proven to be an important source of growth, a trend likely to continue in coming quarters. New product announcements are likely to stimulate demand in the coming months.”

However, IDC warned that a return to double-digit growth in the U.S. market will be difficult to achieve.

By Niall Byrne