PC shipments fall short of expectations

Research from market analyst Gartner shows PC shipments grew by 3.1 per cent year-on-year in Q4 2010, falling short of the 4.8 per cent predicted.

93 million units were clocked for the quarter. Gartner cites weaker than expected sales over the Christmas period for them not being higher.

More positively however, year-end shipments increased by a total of 13.8 per cent.

 HP stays at the top of the pile as worldwide number one in Q4, though was spurred mainly by its business operation.

“Overall, holiday PC sales were weak in many key regions due to the intensifying competition in consumer spending. Media tablets, such as the iPad, as well as other consumer electronic (CE) devices, such as game consoles, all competed against PCs,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

“The bright side of the PC market during the fourth quarter of 2010 was a steady growth in the professional market driven by replacement purchases. For all 2010, the results indicate the PC market recovered from the recession, as it returned to double-digit growth, compared to low single-digit growth in 2009. However, the PC market will face challenges going forward with more intensified competition among consumer spending.”