Seeing market growth ahead of the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 7 bodes very well for the fourth quarter and next year. All regions except Japan either met or surpassed expectations. Portable PCs continue to account for the majority of volume and growth, with Mini Notebooks are still making a substantial contribution.
“Despite the ongoing mix of gloom and caution on the economic front, the PC market continues to rebound quickly,” said Loren Loverde, program director for IDC’s Tracker Program. ”The competitive landscape, the transition to portables, new and low-power designs, growth in retail and consumer segments, and the impact of falling prices are all reflected in the gains by HP and Acer, as well as overall market growth.”
“The continued strength of both the US and worldwide PC business in the face of difficult economic environments underscores the value that both consumer and corporate buyers place on PCs,” according to Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays at IDC. “With the forthcoming launch of Windows 7 and expected commercial refresh beginning in 2010, the prospects for future PC market growth are very solid.”
Regional outlook
United States: The US PC market grew by 2.5 percent compared to the third quarter of 2008. Strong Portables sales were part of a back-to-school season that saw consumers continue to gravitate toward lower-cost Portables. Vendors with a solid retail presence were the main beneficiaries as HP regained the top spot in the US.
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA): Despite a year-over-year decline, the EMEA PC market reported sequential improvement as expected, driven by sustained consumer demand in Western Europe. Mini Notebooks continued to be pushed by both telcos and retailers and attracted more consumers while aggressive pricing also helped stimulate mainstream notebook purchases.
Japan: The region is still feeling the pinch of tight business spending which has not been mitigated by Consumer purchases. The market saw a double-digit decline year over year and, contrary to past seasonal patterns, negative sequential quarterly growth. Although Portables performed slightly better than forecast, Desktop shipments declined further than expected, leading most vendors to see declining year-over-year growth.
Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ): Both Desktop and Portable PC markets saw shipments expand nicely in APeJ during the third quarter. China and Taiwan in particular were ahead of forecasts as public sector projects were deployed more quickly than expected. Most other countries came in close to or just slightly ahead of projections.
Vendor highlights
HP: HP leveraged its advantage in Retail to benefit from the strong school season and grow 9.3 percent from last year. Growth was also aided by expansion of telco bundle offerings. The vendor performed above market in most regions but was especially strong in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan.
Dell: Although it experienced a worldwide decline year over year, Dell saw solid growth in emerging markets, especially in APeJ, and a second consecutive quarter of growth brings encouraging signs that its retail development continues to pay off.
Acer: Consumer demand for low-cost systems in the back-to-school season meant Acer’s Mini Notebooks were embraced by consumers. The vendor outperformed the market in virtually all regions.
Lenovo: Lenovo capitalized on resurgent demand in APeJ, benefiting from government stimulus programs and successfully growing both its Commercial and Consumer shipments. The vendor also improved in other regions, with resulting market share gains worldwide. The company saw strong gains in Japan and EMEA while a slight decline was reported in the US.
Toshiba: Toshiba performed above market in all regions except EMEA. It has continued to see solid results in the US and Latin America, while seeing a sizable sequential jump in APeJ.
Source: IDCTable Notes:
1. Some IDC estimates prior to financial earnings reports.
2. Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users.
3. PCs include Desktop and Portable PCs (including Mini Notebooks)
4. PCs do not include x86 Servers or handhelds. Data for all vendors are reported for calendar periods.
5. IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker gathers PC market data in more than 80 countries by vendor, form factor, brand, processor brand and speed, sales channel and user segment. The research includes historical and forecast trend analysis as well as price band and installed base data.
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