Worldwide PC
shipments reached 82.6 million units in the fourth quarter, down 6.9 per cent
from the year before and the seventh consecutive quarter of lower shipments,
according to preliminary results by Gartner.
Gartner said
markets such as the US have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed
base slows. Still, strong growth in tablets continued to negatively impact PC
growth in emerging markets.
In these markets, Gartner said that the first connected device for consumers is most likely a smartphone, and the first computing device a tablet. For the year, PC shipments fell 10 percent from the year before to 315.9 million units, the worst decline in PC market history, equal to shipment levels in 2009.
In these markets, Gartner said that the first connected device for consumers is most likely a smartphone, and the first computing device a tablet. For the year, PC shipments fell 10 percent from the year before to 315.9 million units, the worst decline in PC market history, equal to shipment levels in 2009.
Lenovo took over the top spot in the global PC market, accounting
for 16.9 percent of the market. HP moved into the second spot after
experiencing a shipment decline of 9.3 per cent. Lenovo also led the PC market
in Q4, accounting for 18.1 per cent of global PC shipments. Lenovo showed
strong growth in all regions, except Asia/Pacific, where China continued to be
a problematic country for the company. HP accounted for 16.4 per cent,
experiencing a shipments decline of 7.2 per cent. US and Latin America were two
regions where HP could not increase its shipments.
Dell came in third with 11.8 per cent after redefining its
strategic focus also on consumer PCS, particularly in emerging markets. Acer
came next with 7.8 per cent, followed by Asus with 6.5 per cent. Both Acer and
Asus focus more on tablets. Acer has established a strong position in the
Chromebook market, while Asus has built a solid reputation as a tablet vendor.
PCs are still strategic products for both companies, but share gain is not the
top priority for them.
In the US, PC shipments totaled 15.8 million units, a 7.5 per cent
decline from the year earlier. Despite a 10.3 per cent decline in shipments, HP
continued to be the number one vendor in the US, accounting for 26.5 per cent
of shipments, followed by Dell (2.8 per cent), Apple (13.7 per cent), Lenovo
(9.7 per cent) and Toshiba (7.2 per cent).
Tablets took most of the attention of holiday shoppers in the US,
but Gartner still feels the PC market has bottomed out. The researcher noted
that lowering the price point of thin and light products started encouraging PC
replacement and potentially some PC growth this year.
PC shipments in EMEA totaled 25.8 million units, with the decline
slowing to 6.7 per cent year-on-year. All areas of the region -Western Europe,
Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa- showed a shipment decline.
Shipments in Eastern Europe were driven by the professional segment, as
companies had to finalise IT spending for the year. Consumers replaced PCs only
on a needed basis. Tablets, especially Android-based, were a popular holiday
present and average selling prices (ASPs) for them continued to decline.
PC shipments in
Asia/Pacific fell by 9.8 per cent to 26.5 million units, with consumers opting
to spend on smartphones. Some continued to delay their purchases of a PC as
their requirements, such as entertainment and information access, can be
addressed by other devices, such as tablets.
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