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Global first quarter PC sales still slow
2002-04-20
SAN FRANCISCO - Global personal computer sales were sluggish in the first quarter, indicating the hobbling industry was nearing recovering, but slowly, two leading technology research firms said on Thursday. Both International Data Corp (IDC) and Gartner Dataquest released surveys showing Dell Computer Corp. continued to take market share from competitors, chiefly in the United States at the expense of Compaq Computer Corp. and Gateway Inc . IDC reported worldwide sales of PCs dropped 2.7 percent to 31.4 million computers and sales in the United States, which IDC expected to lead a recovery, slid 0.4 percent. "The good news is that the U.S. market has truly reached low tide and is turning around, albeit slowly," IDC analyst Roger Kay said in a statement. PC sales slid for the first time since 1985 in 2001, dropping 4.6 percent globally, according to Gartner, so that even a slight fall was taken as encouraging. IDC analyst Loren Loverde said the 2.7 percent first-quarter contraction compared with an expected 5.4 percent decline and that IDC would raise its growth forecast for 2002, which had been 3.2 percent. Gartner for the first quarter saw flat global sales and a 2.3 percent rise in the United States but cautioned the improvement reflected weak year-ago performance rather than real improvement. "With little evidence of return to growth in the large accounts segment, the market outlook for 2002 remains highly uncertain," Gartner vice president Charles Smulders said in a release. Gartner gave the Hewlett-Packard Co. notebook division credit for keeping HP sales brisk despite the uncertainty around the merger it plans with Compaq. Buyers appeared to want to try out notebooks, unlike desktops, boosting sales through the retail channel, where HP is strong, at the expense of direct sellers like Dell. Both research firms had Dell increasing U.S. sales more than 16 percent, giving it 26.3 percent of the market, according to Gartner. IDC showed Dell at 28.4 percent of the market, Compaq sales off 13.1 percent to give it 12.1 percent of the U.S. market, HP sales up 0.2 percent for a steady 10.2 percent share, Gateway down 29.6 percent for 6.1 percent share and International Business Machines Corp. sales up 2.0 percent for 5.4 percent of the market. Worldwide, both researchers showed Dell sales up by double digits and Compaq down by low double-digits, HP sales around 3 percent and IBM sales down about 9 percent. Gartner showed Dell No. 1 globally with 14.3 percent of the market followed by Compaq with 10.1 percent, HP with 7.1 percent, and IBM with 5.6 percent, and IDC had similar figures.... ... | Note: this page has been archived under Muzi Premium Version and is only available to premium members. Please use the Premium Personal Password (PPP) to log in.
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