PC market takes another hit in Q2, but Dell surges in US, globally
The PC market continues to fall as the second quarter marked the seventh consecutive of declining units.
According to Gartner, global PC shipments were 64.3 million in the second quarter, down 5.2 percent from a year ago. IDC tallied 62.4 million shipments in the second quarter, for a year-on-year decline of 4.5 percent.
Nevertheless, Gartner noted there is some improvement. The research firm said currency fluctuations and a stronger dollar have effectively raised PC prices in EMEA and Latin America. In addition, the declines have slowed.
Whether the PC market has bottomed remains to be seen. North America actually showed positive shipment growth, both Gartner and IDC reported. Improved inventory levels put the market on a better footing for the second half of 2016, IDC said, while the expiration of free Windows 10 upgrades could prompt some users to buy new systems. The catch is that Brexit will hit the third quarter PC shipments.
As for the standings, Lenovo kept the top spot but fell 2.2 percent in units. HP showed growth, as did Dell. Apple fell.
In the US, Dell and Lenovo showed strong growth.