Components shortages spoil PC revival party - analyst

Gartner bemoans CPU struggles after PC market had shown signs of recovery

A shortage of CPUs stopped the PC market's revival in its tracks at the end of 2018, according to Gartner.

The analyst stated that worldwide PC shipments in Q4 were 68.6 million, down 4.3 per cent year on year.

The disappointing final three months came after year-on-year growth was reported in the previous two quarters.

The drop in shipments was also blamed on political uncertainty.

"The impact from the CPU shortage affected vendors' ability to fulfil demand created by business PC upgrades," Gartner senior principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa said. "We expect this demand will be pushed forward into 2019 if CPU availability improves.

"Political and economic uncertainties in some countries also dampened PC demand. There was even uncertainty in the US - where the overall economy has been strong - among vulnerable buyer groups, such as SMBs.

"Consumer demand remained weak in the holiday season. Holiday sales are no longer a major factor driving consumer demand for PCs."

Lenovo was the only vendor in the top six to see growth in Q4, with shipments climbing 5.9 per cent to 16.6 million. Lenovo's partnership with Fujitsu was a key factor in the performance, Gartner said.

The hike was enough to see Lenovo elevated to the top spot, displacing HP Inc.