IDC: PC shipments roared back in the fourth quarter

The U.S. PC market surged in the fourth quarter hitting a record with 20.7 million units, up 24 percent from a year ago, according to research firm IDC.

In fact, the PC growth was solid across the globe courtesy of cheap pricing. The global PC market posted 15.2 percent growth in the fourth quarter compared to a year ago. The results bode well for PC-related vendors such as Intel, Microsoft and HP. All three will have closely-watched earnings reports in the coming days and weeks.

In a statement, IDC credited pent-up demand, value-priced notebooks and the launch of Windows 7 for the pop in units. However, IDC called the launch of Windows 7 a "moderate" help to unit growth. Consumer spending drove units, but business spending is expected to take a while to come back.

Among vendors, Acer grew 28 percent globally. HP topped the average growth rate and Lenovo delivered strong growth in Asia. What remains to be seen is whether the unit growth---fueled by cheap netbooks and notebooks---translates into big profits for vendors.

Here's the scorecard with my notes: