Worldwide PC shipments UP 16%

July 17, 2008

Worldwide PC shipments reached 71.9 million units in the second quarter of 2008, a 16 percent increase from the second quarter of 2007.

"Mobile PCs continued to lead unit growth across all regions as the average selling price (ASP) of mobile PCs declined sharply relative to desk-based PC ASPs," said Mika Kitagawa, principal analyst for Gartner's Client Computing Markets group. "Economic uncertainties have hit PC revenues, resulting in steep ASP declines, especially in markets such as the United States and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The industry could ultimately see a significant wave of consolidation if stronger vendors continue to press their pricing advantage."

HP continued to maintain the No. 1 position with its worldwide PC shipment market share totaling 18.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008 (see Table 1). HP's growth rate exceeded the industry average in the worldwide market, and its growth rate was little above the industry average in the U.S.

Dell had another strong quarter with worldwide PC shipments increasing 21.9 percent in the second quarter of 2008 and its market share reaching 15.6 percent. The company's growth was fueled by its expansion into retail and other indirect channels. Preliminary results show Dell achieved over 40 percent year-over-year growth in mobile shipments for two consecutive quarters.

PC shipments in the United States reached 16.5 million units in the second quarter of 2008, a 4.2 percent increase from the same period last year. U.S. PC shipments actually accelerated during the quarter, despite continuing U.S. economic woes. However, this acceleration appears to have been achieved at the expense of revenues as vendors appear to have cut prices in response to those woes.

"Home mobile PCs continue to have momentum in the U.S. market. However, ASP declines were greater here than in other segments. The retail space was a harsh pricing environment during the quarter," Ms. Kitagawa said. "U.S. professional units look to have been affected by tightening IT budgets as U.S. business responded to growing economic uncertainty. Desk-based PCs gained traction among some professional users. Because desk-based PC deployment costs are still lower than that of mobile PCs, desk-based PCs provide a less expensive option for these buyers with tighter budgets."

Several mini-notebook PCs were introduced in the U.S. market during the second quarter. However, this platform is still emerging and did not significantly contribute to overall shipment growth. Preliminary data shows the mini-notebook segment accounted for less than 3 percent of U.S. mobile PC shipments.

In the U.S. PC market, Dell continued to be the market leader with PC shipments accounting for 31.9 percent of the U.S. market in the second quarter of 2008 (see Table 2). HP's growth rate was slightly ahead of the U.S. average, and it appears HP's issues around inventory were resolved in the quarter. Apple's PC shipments grew 38.1 percent in the quarter. The home PC segment continued to be the strongest driver for Apple, as well as sales into the education segment.

PC shipments in EMEA reached 23.1 million units in the second quarter of 2008, a 23.5 percent increase from the same period last year. The strong shipment growth was linked to the decline in ASPs, especially in consumer mobile PCs. Some of the ASP declines are also an attempt by vendors to shift increasing inventory levels in retail channels. Shipment growth was strong across all countries, with the emerging markets of Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa still exhibiting the strongest increases. The strength of the mobile market continued; demand for notebooks remained very strong with growth over 40 percent.

In Asia/Pacific, PC shipments totaled 20.1 million units, up 18.1 percent from the second quarter of last year. In the professional market, there was not a significant slowdown in PC purchases as replacements and capital investments continued, benefiting multinational vendors such as HP, Dell and Lenovo. Mobile PC shipments grew 45.6 percent in the quarter.

PC shipments in Latin America grew 23.2 percent in the second quarter of 2008, as shipments in the region reached 7 million units. White boxes are gaining new momentum with support by AMD, Intel and Microsoft. Notebook PCs posted 55 percent growth in the quarter, while desk-based systems grew at an estimated 10 percent.

In Japan, PC shipments reached 3.6 million units, an 8.2 percent increase from the same period last year. Mobile PCs grew at a high single-digit to a low teen-digit rate, while desk-based PCs showed low single-digit growth. Replacement demand for commercial mobile PCs in large enterprises and sales of $500 mini-notebooks were two of the growth accelerators for the second quarter of 2008.