Global PC Shipments Dip 3.2% in Q1: IDC

Taipei, April 29, 2011 (CENS)--Global personal computer (PC) shipments declined 3.2% during the first quarter of 2011 compared to that last year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

Although the forecast for the quarter was already conservative--IDC expected a mere 1.5% growth in shipments--a steady but still cautious business mentality and waning consumer enthusiasm persisted. A spike in fuel and commodity prices and the disruptions in Japan added to the mix, further dampening a market struggling to maintain momentum, the major international market research firm said.

Despite promising economic sentiments, mature regions appear to be more focused on necessary replacements as a relative dearth of compelling reasons were present to buy secondary PCs. Emerging markets fared better due to lower saturation rates, but also slowed somewhat with Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region (APEJ) slowing to a 5.6% growth and China continuing to cool off after a momentous 2010.

"While the consequences of events in the Middle East and Japan remain unclear, these will surely be factors that will influence short term market performance for 2011," said Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.

Taiwan-based Acer was affected by continued turbulence in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, its biggest market. Moreover, the vendor is stilling feeling the pullback in the Mini Notebook (netbook) and consumer space, while its upcoming tablet PCs have yet to fill in the void. In the U.S., Acer also ceded its place to a surging Apple in the major market.

Top 5 Vendors, Worldwide PC Shipments, Q1' 20111 (Preliminary) (Units Shipments are in thousands)
Rank	Vendor	Q1'11 Shipments	Market Share	Q11'0 Shipments	Market Share	YoY Growth
1	HP	15,191	18.9%	15,624	18.8%	-2.8%
2	Dell	10,284	12.8%	10,469	12.6%	-1.8%
3	Acer Group	9,039	11.2%	10,733	12.9%	-15.8%
4	Lenovo	8,172	10.1%	7,028	8.4%	16.3%
5	Toshiba	4,809	6.0%	4,634	5.6%	3.8%
Others		33,062	41.0%	34,712	41.7%	-4.8%
All Vendors		80,557	100.0%	83,200	100.0%	-3.2%
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, April 13, 2011