UK PC sales achieved healthy growth last year

PC sales in the UK grew by 18 per cent during 2004, according to analyst IDC.

More than 2.6 million machines were shipped during the last three months of the year - 35 per cent of which were notebook PCs.

Desktop sales increased by nine per cent over the year, with Intel-based server system revenues growing by 13 per cent.

Demand was strong in both consumer and business markets, says Ian Gibbs, senior research analyst with IDC's European Personal Computing group.

'Despite national economic statistics suggesting a slowdown in retail sales towards the end of the quarter, consumer PC shipments drove overall market growth in the fourth quarter of 2004,' he said

'While the Christmas shopping season provides a traditionally strong boost to home computing demand, growth was maintained in the business markets also.'

Dell is the biggest PC company in the UK, with 21.5 per cent market share and a sales increase of 42 per cent in the fourth quarter, compared to the same period in 2003.

HP is second with 16 per cent of the market, but fourth quarter sales dropped 2.8 per cent, says IDC.

IBM's PC sales grew 35 per cent year-on-year - despite announcing plans to sell its PC division to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo - although NEC and Acer achieved third and fourth place above IBM in the sales league table.