A-brand PC vendors cash in on bumper Q1

Big boys start 2010 in fine form as IDC projects full-year market growth above 15 per cent

World of opportunity: the global PC market grew 24.2 per cent annually in Q1

After a barnstorming first quarter, the worldwide PC market is set to grow more than 15 per cent this year, IDC has claimed.

The market watcher's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker reveals 79.1 million units were shipped globally in 2010's first three months, a 24.2 per cent rise on 2009. In EMEA, IDC indicated notebooks were the quarter's top performer, posting double-digit growth.

The region benefitted from "a very competitive consumer market, while increasing business demand also boosted shipments", according to the research house.

HP continued to rule the vendor roost in Q1, growing shipments by 19.9 per cent year on year to 15.6 million. The vendor's market share slipped seven-tenths of a point to 19.7 per cent.

Acer, in second spot, saw shipments rise by more than two-fifths annually to 10.8 million. Over the last year, the Taiwanese firm's market share has grown from 11.9 to 13.6 per cent. During the same period, Dell has slipped from second to third spot in the manufacturer rankings.

The Texan giant has seen its Q1 2009 market share decline by three-tenths of a point to 13.3 per cent. But the vendor showed signs of a return to form in 2010's first quarter, growing shipments by 21.1 per cent to 10.5 million.

Lenovo, in fourth, was the quarter's star performer, with shipments spiking 58.3 per cent to seven million and market share up almost two points annually to 8.8 per cent. Toshiba completed the top five. The Japanese monolith grew shipments by 29.4 per cent to 4.6 million, with market share up a fifth of a point to 5.8 per cent.

IDC's vice president of Worldwide Trackers, Loren Loverde, said: "The strong first quarter builds on the fourth quarter rebound and shows rising confidence in the PC supply chain and commercial client base. along with persistent demand from consumers. The commercial gains are a cornerstone of market rebound that we have been expecting and are now seeing in the data.

"Despite continued strengthening of commercial demand and solid consumer and emerging market results, year-on-year growth is likely to slow in coming quarters as year-ago comparisons get more difficult. This is part of an expected recovery trend that should include strong second quarter performance and lift growth for the year to 15 per cent or higher."