PC market

Computers
August 18, 2011
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DisplaySearch: Apple was world's top PC vendor in Q2, including iPads

By on August 18, 2011 at 8:10 PM.

DisplaySearch: Apple was world's top PC vendor in Q2, including iPads

Apple was the world’s top PC vendor last quarter, having shipped 13.6 million “personal computers” according to market research firm DisplaySearch. The firm includes both Mac computers and iPad tablets in its figures however, whereas most similar reports do not include tablet computers powered by mobile operating systems in the general PC category. Including the iPad, DisplaySearch says that Apple shipped nearly 4 million more PCs than second-ranked HP, which shipped 9.7 million computers in the second quarter. Dell found itself in the No. 3 spot with 7.5 million units shipped, Acer was No. 4 with 7 million units and Lenovo rounded out the top-5 with 4.8 million PCs shipped. Overall, the firm found that PC market growth continued to slow in the second quarter. “Preliminary results show a second consecutive quarter of Y/Y shipment growth rate decline,” said Richard Shim, Senior Analyst for DisplaySearch, in a statement. “While part of the Y/Y decline can be attributed to a strong first half of 2010, the rising tablet PC shipment growth rate begins to point to notebook PC shipment cannibalization.” DisplaySearch’s full press release follows below. More →

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Computers
May 12, 2011
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Apple’s iPad isn’t hurting PC sales, NPD finds

By on May 12, 2011 at 6:00 AM.

Apple’s iPad isn’t hurting PC sales, NPD finds

Market research firm NPD Group this week revealed the findings of its recent report entitled, Apple iPad Owner Study II. Among the interesting findings contained within NPD’s research is the revelation that the iPad isn’t responsible for the current decline in the traditional consumer PC market — at least, not according to NPD and its respondents. Research firm IDC estimates that the PC market dipped by over 10% in the U.S. last quarter, and 3.2% globally. In reporting its estimates, IDC said that these declines were due to factors other than the rising popularity of the iPad and other “media tablets.” NPD Group’s new report jibes with that sentiment, as the firm claims that only 14% of early iPad adopters decided against purchasing a traditional PC as a result of their tablet purchases. “The explosion of computer sales when Windows 7 launched, as well as the huge increase in netbook sales at that time, are much more to blame for weak consumer PC sales growth than the iPad,” said Stephen Baker, VP of industry analysis at NPD, in a statement. “Overall it appears that the vast majority of iPad purchases to-date have been incremental to the consumer technology industry.” Hit the jump for the full press release. More →

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Business
April 14, 2011
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iPad causes U.S. PC market to dive; Apple, Toshiba only winners

By on April 14, 2011 at 10:31 AM.

iPad causes U.S. PC market to dive; Apple, Toshiba only winners

Apple’s iPad has left the traditional PC market in a state of flux and in a painful bit of irony for Apple’s competition, the Cupertino company is also one of the few manufacturers whose traditional PC business managed to grow last quarter. Research firm IDC released its first-quarter figures on Wednesday and detailed bleak times for the bulk of PC makers in the U.S. and globally. Stateside, Apple and Toshiba were the only companies with significant market shares whose shipments grew year-over-year; Apple’s shipments climbed 9.6% to 1.375 million units and Toshiba shipped 1.663 million units for a 10.4% increase. Overall however, the market was down 10.7%, with Dell and Acer having recorded the biggest loses. Dell’s shipments declined 11.8% while Acer’s U.S. PC shipments slid a massive 42.1% year-over-year, from 2.298 million units in the first quarter of 2010 to 1.331 million in the same quarter this year. Globally, Lenovo was the biggest winner as its shipments grew an impressive 16.3% to 8.172 million units. Acer was again the biggest loser, with total shipments dropping 15.8% from 10.733 million units in the first quarter last year to 9.039 million units in the first quarter of 2011. Hit the jump for IDC’s full press release. More →

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Tablets
January 26, 2011
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Canalys: Tablets drive 19% Q4 growth in global PC market; Apple takes No. 3 spot from Dell

By on January 26, 2011 at 9:21 AM.

Canalys: Tablets drive 19% Q4 growth in global PC market; Apple takes No. 3 spot from Dell

Led by tremendous continued demand for Apple’s iPad, tablet sales helped drive impressive 19% fourth-quarter growth in the global PC market according to research firm Canalys. Strong Mac and iPad sales resulted in 241% growth year-over-year for the Cupertino-based company, which passed Dell this quarter to become the third-largest PC vender in the world. Shipments jumped from 3.4 million to 11.5 million units, and Apple now owns 10.8% of the global PC market. Ahead of Apple is Acer, which saw 8.8% growth year-over-year in the fourth quarter. The company shipped 13.6 million PCs amounting to 12.8% of the global market. Atop the list with 17.7% of the market is HP, which shipped 18.7 million computers in the fourth quarter. Year-over-year growth slowed to 2.9%, however, while companies like Dell and Lenovo showed double-digit growth. HP plans to enter the tablet market in the first half of this year, and it is expected to announce its first tablet devices at a press event next month.

As to whether or not tablets like the Apple iPad should be included in PC sales figures, Canalys Senior Analyst Daryl Chiam addresses the question quite well: “Any argument that a pad is not a PC is simply out of sync,” Chiam said in a statement. “With screen sizes of seven inches or above, ample processing power, and a growing number of applications, pads offer a computing experience comparable to netbooks. They compete for the same customers and will happily coexist. As with smart phones, some users will require a physical keyboard, while others will do without.” Hit the break for Canalys’ full release. More →

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Retail
March 3, 2009
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Surprise, surprise; PC sales expected to drop in 2009

By on March 3, 2009 at 5:23 PM.

Surprise, surprise; PC sales expected to drop in 2009

Just in case the current economic climate didn’t tip you off, Gartner has issued new predictions for PC sales in 2009 and things don’t look good. You don’t say? According to the firm, the PC market is in for its sharpest decline ever in 2009 with sales expected to drop a massive 11.9 percent. Should Gartner’s prediction be accurate, the PC business is in for a decline nearly three times its current record slide of 3.2 percent in 2001. Insights from George Shiffler, research director at Gartner:

The PC industry is facing extraordinary conditions as the global economy continues to weaken, users stretch PC lifetimes and PC suppliers grow increasingly cautious.

The firm sees laptop sales rising around 9 percent year-over-year in 2009 while progress in the portable department is offset, and then some, by a steep 32 percent drop off in desktop sales. Gartner also predicts a 10.4 percent sales decline in emerging markets which saw an 11.1 percent growth in its prior worst year, 2002. Long story short, 2008 was bleak and 2009 is shaping up to be even worse.

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