IDC and Gartner say PC market is stabilizing

Large smartphones and cheap tablets put the PC market in a tough spot with a number of companies jumping ship (Samsung left the European market, Sony sold off the business altogether). However, analysts at both Gartner and IDC report that the PC market is finally showing signs of stability.

Tablet penetration is reaching its peak and cheap computers (like Chromebooks) have helped breathe new life into the segment.

It also helps that laptops are becoming increasingly tablet-like with touchscreens and hybrid designs.

Gartner says it’s developed markets like North America and Western Europe that are turning around, while demand in developing markets is still declining. There tablets are a lower-cost option for those who can’t afford a PC. The uptick in computer sales was in part due to a wave of upgrades – people finally leaving their dusty Windows XP machines behind.

Top 5 Vendors, United States PC Shipments, Third Quarter 2014 (Preliminary) (Shipments are in thousands of units)

Both Gartner and IDC put Lenovo on top with a 20% market share and one of the biggest growths over the past 12 months. Then comes HP but the company is considering a split into consumer (PC and printers) and enterprise divisions. The PC division showed a sluggish growth, so it may be weighing down the enterprise division.

Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q14 (Units)

Dell completes the Top 3. It’s followed by Acer and Apple in the IDC numbers, while Gartner puts Acer and Asus in fourth and fifth.

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