PC market shrinks again but B2B buoys figures
New stats from IDC and Gartner show channel intake of Windows 8.1 helped prevent further market decline
The PC market has suffered another consecutive quarter of decline in Q3, but business purchases have helped prevent the market shrinking even further, according to new figures released today.
IDC said global shipments of PCs shrunk 7.6 per cent annually to 81.6 million in the three months to 30 September - less severe than the 9.5 per cent slump it forecast. It put the better-than-expected figures partly down to business uptake of PCs offering Microsoft's new OS offering.
"While shipments remained weak during the early part of the quarter, the market was somewhat buoyed by business purchases, as well as channel intake of Windows 8.1-based systems during September," said IDC.
In August this year, Microsoft released the updated OS to manufacturers ahead of its general release later this month, and in September, it allowed developers and IT pros access after they complained about the prospect of having to wait longer for it.
IDC added: "A slight uptick in business volume contributed to shipments. The top three vendors, Lenovo, HP and Dell - which all have an important presence in the enterprise and public sectors - all saw modest positive year-on-year growth during the quarter.
"Conversely, consumer sentiment remained lukewarm at best, as evidenced by the continued struggles of Acer and ASUS."
Q3 shipments appeared worse than they were due to an unfavourable comparison with the same period last year, IDC added, claiming that last year, preparation for Windows 8 machines boosted shipments. Inventory in EMEA remained an important priority for the channel too this quarter, which IDC said inhibited further sell-in, affecting the quarter's figures.
Gartner also released its PC market figures for Q3 today, and it placed the number of shipments at 80.3 million - down 8.6 per cent from the same period last year, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of decline.
It pointed to consumers' move to tablets as a primary driver for the decline.