HP has overtaken Dell as the world’s number one in PC
shipments, according to analyst Gartner.
Gartner said HP had pipped Dell to the number one slot for the
first time since the fourth quarter of 2003.
For the third quarter of 2006, said Gartner, HP shipped 110,000
more units than Dell.
Worldwide PC shipments, including desktops, laptops and x86
servers, totalled 59.1 million units in the quarter, which was a
6.7% increase on the same period last year.
The US PC market experienced a year-over-year shipment decline
of 2%. The last time the US PC market suffered a decline in PC
shipments was the second quarter of 2002.
Gartner said HP performed well across all regions, as its
worldwide PC shipments in the third quarter of 2006 increased 15.4%
year-over-year, and its market share reached 16.3%.
Dell experienced its lowest year-over-year growth in the
company’s history, as worldwide PC shipments increased 3.6% in the
third quarter, and its worldwide PC market share slipped to
16.1%.
Dell’s shipment growth rates were below the industry averages in
the US and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.
Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said, “HP continues to take
better advantage of the faster growth segments such as the consumer
market. The company’s share trajectory reflects its improvements in
operational execution and changes in marketing.”
Kitagawa said, “Dell felt the effects of the weak sales in the
US market and it gave up some ground.”
Lenovo, Acer and Toshiba made up the top five PC vendors in that
order.