The global PC market grew 11% in the third quarter of 2010 (3Q10), nearly 3% below expectations. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, constrained consumer spending resulted in a tepid back-to-school season but commercial refresh remained largely on schedule and the overall market improved in September compared to the earlier part of the quarter. Moreover, the market still exhibited positive sequential growth over the second quarter which is the hallmark of third quarter activity. Shipments for most markets were relatively close to expectations, with Japan surpassing the forecast. The U.S. saw the largest difference with forecast growth, coming in at a 3.8% year-on-year increase, which was well below 2Q10 growth of 11.7% and 3Q10 projections near 11%.
Continuing from trends seen in recent quarters, Desktop volume was supported by commercial purchases while consumer fatigue was evident on the Notebook side, with Mininotebook PC shipments continuing the recent trend of slowing growth.
“Despite a sluggish start, the quarter ended with a good rally in September which could be a good prelude for what is ahead,” said Jay Chou, research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide PC Tracker Program. “Lower PC component costs, budding excitement around new media-centric form factors and continued business buying should still make for a competitive holiday season.”
“Apple’s influence on the PC market continues to grow, particularly in the U.S., as the company’s iPad has had some negative impact on the mininotebook market. But, the halo effect of the device also helped propel Mac sales and moved the company into the number three position in the U.S. market,” said Bob O’Donnell, IDC vice president for Clients and Displays.
Regional Outlook
• United States – Weak back-to-school sales and consumer fatigue characterized the market. The region grew 3.8% compared to a year ago, 7% below forecast, but still managed to record a positive sequential growth compared to the second quarter of 2010.
• Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) – As expected maintained healthy double-digit growth in the back-to-school period, driven by continued recovery across the emerging markets and increasing business renewals in Western Europe. However, mininotebook demand continued to drop as anticipated leading to softer consumer growth.
• Japan – This was the only region to exceed forecast. Stronger than expected activity in the enterprise and SMB sector helped propel the market.
• Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) – The region came in about 2% below projections at 13% yearly growth, as retail inventory in China and Indonesia impacted notebooks there. Desktops were slightly stronger than expected, but it was not enough to completely offset notebooks.
Vendor Outlook
• HP had a flat year overall but and managed to grow almost 3% in the U.S. Channel issues in Asia/Pacific were a contributing factor.
• Acer Group saw inventory issues cause backlog in the channel. Acer grew slightly slower than the market – primarily a result of strong year-ago performance. This was most evident in the United States and Japan, which saw the slowest growth. Meanwhile, Acer continued to make rapid gains in emerging markets.
• Dell grew nearly 10% overall and its business in emerging markets remains robust.
• Lenovo was strong across the board and gained more than 30%. Its Desktop sales benefited from continued business renewal projects and held on to have impressive gains in all regions, including its home turf in Asia/Pacific.
• ASUS continued to make strong gains across most regions despite having some inventory issues. Strong performance in Asia/Pacific helped it achieve growth of more than 30%.
• Toshiba grew above market and saw shipments increase more than 14% for the quarter as its notebooks continued to find good reception in the Asia/Pacific (excl. Japan) region. The company also saw solid growth in the U.S. and EMEA as well.
Top 6 Vendors, Worldwide PC Shipments, Third Quarter 2010 (Preliminary) (Units Shipments are in thousands)
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 13, 2010
Top 5 Vendors, United States PC Shipments, Third Quarter 2010 (Preliminary) (Units Shipments are in thousands)
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 13, 2010
Table Notes:
– Some IDC estimates prior to financial earnings reports, including Apple Inc.’s report due October 18, 2010.
– Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users. OEM sales are counted under the vendor/brand under which they are sold.
– PCs include Desktops, Portables, Mini Notebooks and do not include handhelds and x86 Servers. Data for all vendors are reported for calendar periods.
IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker gathers PC market data in 85 countries by vendor, form factor, brand, processor brand and speed, sales channel and user segment. The research includes historical and forecast trend analysis as well as price band and installed base data.
Source: IDC
MacDailyNews Take: iPads are personal computers, as are iPhones and iPod touches, but they’ll never count those as PCs, so at least count the iPads. The personal computing paradigm has shifted regardless of whether IDC or Gartner recognize it yet.
They did not count the iPads. So Apple is now the biggest in the USA and maybe second or third in the world.
They did not count the iPads. So Apple is now the biggest in the USA and maybe second or third in the world.
Saying consumers are “fatigued” with mini-notebooks while ignoring the iPad entirely is 100% pure BS.
Saying consumers are “fatigued” with mini-notebooks while ignoring the iPad entirely is 100% pure BS.
Despite the talking heads’ rhetoric, Apple’s market share has always been remarkable considering they’re selling an entirely unique ecosystem.
Despite the talking heads’ rhetoric, Apple’s market share has always been remarkable considering they’re selling an entirely unique ecosystem.
Apple topping 10% in the US is a big deal. Remember when they were less than 3%.
There’s still a lot of room for growth, particularly outside the US. If Apple are selling close to 5M iPads last quarter then they must be taking sales away from netbooks etc.
Looks like Apple is close to selling 4M macs last quarter. That will be 4x the amount sold back in the early 2000s. Remarkable achievement.
The scary thing is that Apple could easily sell more macs given 5-10% share throughout the regions. This is only going to help their margins since they have refused to enter to cheap PC market. Instead they made the iPad to address that area of the market.
Apple topping 10% in the US is a big deal. Remember when they were less than 3%.
There’s still a lot of room for growth, particularly outside the US. If Apple are selling close to 5M iPads last quarter then they must be taking sales away from netbooks etc.
Looks like Apple is close to selling 4M macs last quarter. That will be 4x the amount sold back in the early 2000s. Remarkable achievement.
The scary thing is that Apple could easily sell more macs given 5-10% share throughout the regions. This is only going to help their margins since they have refused to enter to cheap PC market. Instead they made the iPad to address that area of the market.
They comment on how iPads are taking mini-notebook market share, but don’t count them as computers? What are they then? If they did count iPads as computers Apple would be number one in US computer sales…..that’s why. They don’t count hand-helds as computers…why do they count mini-computer then? It’s all a numbers game to distort facts.
Smart phones, and the iPhone, are computers too for that matter. The fact is when Macs, iPhones, iPads are counted together, I’d venture Apple is now the leading computer company in the world.
They comment on how iPads are taking mini-notebook market share, but don’t count them as computers? What are they then? If they did count iPads as computers Apple would be number one in US computer sales…..that’s why. They don’t count hand-helds as computers…why do they count mini-computer then? It’s all a numbers game to distort facts.
Smart phones, and the iPhone, are computers too for that matter. The fact is when Macs, iPhones, iPads are counted together, I’d venture Apple is now the leading computer company in the world.
Disappointing to see they don’t recognize the iPad as a personal computer. They must not have used one!
Sent from my iPad
Disappointing to see they don’t recognize the iPad as a personal computer. They must not have used one!
Sent from my iPad
The whole issue of counting iPads, iPhones and iPods as computers is lame unless you also count all of the other products in the category like Android, Blackberry, etc. Or, you count the ATV, Playstation, Wii, etc. Where do you draw the line? I hardly think an iPhone (I own 4 of them) is a real computer. The screen is too small to really use a browser. I use it for a variety of things that I also do on my iMacs like checking email, watching videos, playing music, etc.. But, the primary function is…cell phone. The primary function of Wii is…game playing. You can surf the net with one. But, it is not a “computer”.
These products are placed into their separate categories to apply order to a very wide category. There is a huge variety of electronics that operate using computer technology. But, they are not computers anymore than a Chevy Malibu is an SUV.
The whole issue of counting iPads, iPhones and iPods as computers is lame unless you also count all of the other products in the category like Android, Blackberry, etc. Or, you count the ATV, Playstation, Wii, etc. Where do you draw the line? I hardly think an iPhone (I own 4 of them) is a real computer. The screen is too small to really use a browser. I use it for a variety of things that I also do on my iMacs like checking email, watching videos, playing music, etc.. But, the primary function is…cell phone. The primary function of Wii is…game playing. You can surf the net with one. But, it is not a “computer”.
These products are placed into their separate categories to apply order to a very wide category. There is a huge variety of electronics that operate using computer technology. But, they are not computers anymore than a Chevy Malibu is an SUV.
It is like stating that we did not fly into your empire because our fighter jets never crossed over your boarders. It was those cutting edge cruise missiles that took out your empire.
Do you think that the typewriter industry ignored the PC’s years ago too!
It is like stating that we did not fly into your empire because our fighter jets never crossed over your boarders. It was those cutting edge cruise missiles that took out your empire.
Do you think that the typewriter industry ignored the PC’s years ago too!
Yes Mac-Daddio. A Chevy Malibu is not a SUV but the SUV is killing the Chevy Malibu sales. The iPad can Bluetooth to keyboards, will print soon, can edit music and movies, video chat, write letters, e-mail do spread sheets, … As the iPad exceeds the uses of what any and all of the PC can do, you argument is disqualified.
The iPad is a computer however the PC and many notebooks are not light and as capable as an iPad. Plug the iPad into that keyboard base that Apple sells and keep telling your self that the iPad is not a computer. But the PC running a scale or time clock is a computer.
Yes Mac-Daddio. A Chevy Malibu is not a SUV but the SUV is killing the Chevy Malibu sales. The iPad can Bluetooth to keyboards, will print soon, can edit music and movies, video chat, write letters, e-mail do spread sheets, … As the iPad exceeds the uses of what any and all of the PC can do, you argument is disqualified.
The iPad is a computer however the PC and many notebooks are not light and as capable as an iPad. Plug the iPad into that keyboard base that Apple sells and keep telling your self that the iPad is not a computer. But the PC running a scale or time clock is a computer.
Paul Thurrott,
“Apple’s market share is 1.88 percent today, and as your own math showed you, it will be 1.7 percent or lower in 2004. Why is this so hard for Mac advocates to understand? The Mac market is ending.”
This quote is getting right up there with Michael Dell’s idiocy.
Paul Thurrott,
“Apple’s market share is 1.88 percent today, and as your own math showed you, it will be 1.7 percent or lower in 2004. Why is this so hard for Mac advocates to understand? The Mac market is ending.”
This quote is getting right up there with Michael Dell’s idiocy.
Two years ago, these counters will continue to only count traditional ‘desktop PCs’ as computer market, and will continue to exclude any and all iOS devices from the count. By then, Apple will have built 20″ iOS device, iOS will have grown to become an enterprise-grade desktop OS, major application vendors (Adobe, Microsoft, Avid/Digidesign…) will have ported their flagship offerings to iOS, and Apple will be blanketing the market with computers that are really easy to use this time. Eventually, these counters will start figuring out that a ‘desktop PC’ as a category should include all computing devices that sit on desktop and do computing. Once that happens, and iOS device numbers start being tallied, some big names (HP, Dell, Acer) will suddenly experience sever shock.
I’m pulling up a chair and getting me some popcorn when that happens.
Two years ago, these counters will continue to only count traditional ‘desktop PCs’ as computer market, and will continue to exclude any and all iOS devices from the count. By then, Apple will have built 20″ iOS device, iOS will have grown to become an enterprise-grade desktop OS, major application vendors (Adobe, Microsoft, Avid/Digidesign…) will have ported their flagship offerings to iOS, and Apple will be blanketing the market with computers that are really easy to use this time. Eventually, these counters will start figuring out that a ‘desktop PC’ as a category should include all computing devices that sit on desktop and do computing. Once that happens, and iOS device numbers start being tallied, some big names (HP, Dell, Acer) will suddenly experience sever shock.
I’m pulling up a chair and getting me some popcorn when that happens.
It appears that not everyone is counting the same way!
“iPad could help Apple outsell ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba
Today, 10:05 AM
The iPad could be Apple’s key to outselling much of the portable computing market, DisplaySearch said in its latest report. Opting to include the iPad the same category as notebooks, the group expects Apple to ship nine million tablets in the second half of the year and to immediately vault over ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba to become the fourth-largest portable computer seller in the world. Going Mac-only has previously kept Apple stuck between sixth and eighth place.”
It appears that not everyone is counting the same way!
“iPad could help Apple outsell ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba
Today, 10:05 AM
The iPad could be Apple’s key to outselling much of the portable computing market, DisplaySearch said in its latest report. Opting to include the iPad the same category as notebooks, the group expects Apple to ship nine million tablets in the second half of the year and to immediately vault over ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba to become the fourth-largest portable computer seller in the world. Going Mac-only has previously kept Apple stuck between sixth and eighth place.”
Dell growth: -4.9%
At this rate, Apple only has to wait for Dell to knock themselves off the #2 spot.