According to Gartner, global PC shipments reached 82.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, witnessing a decline of 6.9 per cent in comparison to the corresponding period in 2012.
The research firm has stated that markets such as the US have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed base slows. Further, increasing uptake of tablets amongst users continued to negatively impact PC growth in emerging markets. In a majority of the emerging markets, the first connected device for consumers is most likely to be a smartphone, and the first computing device a tablet. The worldwide overall PC shipment declined by 10 per cent in 2013 and stood at 315.9 million units.
Lenovo led the PC market through the year and for the fourth quarter of 2013. At the end of 2013, Lenovo led the PC shipments with a market share of 16.9 per cent. The tablet manufacturer witnessed strong growth in all regions, except Asia Pacific, where the company could not make much head way in China. HP was the second player leading the global PC shipments with a market share of 16.4 percent witnessing a decline of 7.2 per cent in shipments over 2012. The company could not make an impact in US and Latin America, which impacted its global sales. Dell was placed third in the PC shipment market with a market share of 11.8 per cent. Dell was followed in fourth and fifth position by Acer and Asus with a market share of 7.8 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively. In 2013, Acer established itself as a strong player in the Chromebook market, while Asus built on its image of a reliable tablet vendor.
In the US, PC shipments totaled 15.8 million units, witnessing a decline of 7.5 per cent over 2012. Despite a 10.3 percent decline in shipments, HP continued to be the leading vendor in the US market accounting for 26.5 per cent of total shipments, followed by Dell (2.8 per cent), Apple (13.7 per cent), Lenovo (9.7 per cent) and Toshiba (7.2 per cent).
PC shipments in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) stood at 25.8 million units with every region witnessing a decline in 2013 over 2012. PC shipments in Eastern Europe were driven by the professional segment, as companies had to finalise IT spending for the year.
PC shipments in Asia Pacific declined by 9.8 per cent and stood at 26.5 million units, with consumers opting to spend on smartphones. A large number of buyers continued to delay their purchases of a PC as their requirements, such as entertainment and information access, can be addressed by other devices, such as tablets.
