Global PC market grew 11.9% in Q3 2004, Dell had 18.2% of global sales

The worldwide PC market grew 11.9% in Q3 2004, according to IDC. The strong growth was the result of solid commercial demand, aggressive pricing and firm sales in Europe, where the strong euro aided buyers. In the US, shipments were up 7.6%, slightly ahead of expectations. Dell widened its lead as the largest PC vendor with 18.2% of the worldwide market, up from 16.9% last year. Hewlett-Packard was second with a 16.2% share, which was down from 16.6% last year.