Worldwide PC shipments bounce back but competition from gadgets growing

The total number of PC shipments worldwide reached 93.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010, marking a 3.1 per cent increase on the same period in 2009, according to research firm Gartner.

However, the figures were well below Gartner's forecast; the company expected to see 4.8 per cent growth during this quarter.

"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 devices, such as game consoles, all competed against PCs," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

She added that on the bright side there was a steady growth in the professional market driven by replacement purchases during the quarter, signalling that the worldwide economy is on the mend.

"Throughout 2010, the results indicate that the PC market has recovered from the recession, as it returns to double-digit growth, compared with low single-digit growth in 2009. However, the PC market will face challenges going forward with more intensified competition among consumer spending."

HP maintained the top position in worldwide PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2010, but its shipment growth was below the worldwide average. HP was followed by Acer, Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba.