INDICATORS - PC growth

Context looks at the rate of PC growth and the share that each brand has in its market.

xt looks at the rate of PC growth and the share that each brand has in its market.
 WESTERN EUROPE
 PC BRANDS                           GROWTH
 Total Europe                          21.1
 Top 5 vendors                         35.4
 Others                                 2.4
 Total excl others                     30.5
 Fujitsu                               94.8
 Hewlett Packard                       75.6
 Dell                                  75.4
 Acer                                  63.5
 Packard Bell - NEC                    44.1
 Toshiba                               31.4
 Compaq                                28.9
 SNI                                   23.2
 Apple                                 18.8
 Olidata                               10.0
 Gateway 2000                           7.7
 IBM                                    6.6
 CDC                                    4.8
 Digital                                0.2
 Unisys                                -0.2
 Tulip                                 -5.7
 Elonex (estimate)                     -6.4
 Mitsubishi                           -20.4
 Olivetti                             -24.6
 AST                                  -46.5

The Western European PC market grew 21.1 per cent in volume in the first quarter of 1998, to 5,573,104 units, compared with the same period one year ago. Although it was feared high stock levels would cause a general slowdown of the market and affect the number of units shipped, Western Europe showed good growth and continued good performances in the fourth quarter of 1997.

 UK
 PC BRANDS                           GROWTH
 Total UK                              30.2
 Others                                11.3
 Total excl others                     42.1
 Hewlett Packard                      105.7
 Fujitsu                               88.8
 Dell                                  61.6
 Packard Bell - NEC                    56.2
 Apple                                 53.0
 Toshiba                               43.2
 Elonex (estimate)                     39.2
 Compaq                                21.7
 IBM                                   19.8
 Gateway 2000                           7.9

Among the three biggest European markets, the UK had an extremely good quarter with a growth rate of 30.2 per cent. This is due to a high demand in the entry-level product sector and Pentium II-based machines, where fast technology changes led to a higher product turnover than usual.

 GERMANY
 PC BRANDS                           GROWTH
 Total Germany                         10.9
 Others                                -5.1
 Total excl others                     29.6
 Fujitsu                              121.3
 Dell                                  70.3
 Hewlett Packard                       68.9
 Apple                                 58.4
 Acer                                  31.7
 Toshiba                               18.3
 SNI                                   11.4
 Compaq                                 3.1
 Gateway 2000                          -0.9
 IBM                                  -26.0

Germany, Europe's biggest PC market, had one of the lowest growth rates in Europe with 10.9 per cent more PCs shipped this year than last year. While the corporate sector grew about 15 per cent, the overall rate was affected by a sluggish growth in the consumer market, with buyers showing reluctance towards new technologies and costly upgrade systems.

 FRANCE
 PC BRANDS                           GROWTH
 Total France                          24.5
 Others                                -0.3
 Total excl others                     39.4
 Fujitsu                              251.7
 Dell                                  86.9
 Packard Bell - NEC                    61.3
 Hewlett Packard                       56.9
 Compaq                                28.4
 Toshiba                               26.1
 SNI                                   24.5
 Apple                                  5.1
 Gateway 2000                           5.1
 IBM                                    3.1

The French PC market, profiting from an improved economic situation, grew at a rate of 24.5 per cent compared with the first quarter of 1997.

Although the retail sector seemed depressed this quarter, small and medium-sized businesses undertook big investments in new technologies to the benefit of entry-level products.