The global personal computer shipments fell 11.2 per cent to 79.2 million units in the first quarter of 2013, compared with the same period a year ago. This is the lowest since the second quarter of 2009.

All regions showed a decrease in shipments, with the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region experiencing the steepest decline, according to a study by research and analysis firm Gartner.

"This is the fourth consecutive quarter that showed a drop in worldwide PC shipments. Consumers are migrating content consumption from PCs to other connected devices such as tablets and smartphones. Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

"Unlike the consumer PC segment, the professional PC market, which accounts for about half of overall PC shipments, has seen growth, driven by continuing PC refreshes. Despite the fact that some regions already passed the peak of PC refresh, overall professional PC demand continued to grow," she said.

HP, LENOVO LEAD

HP and Lenovo were in a virtual tie for the top position in the first quarter of 2013. HP had a challenging quarter, as it recorded its worst shipment decline since the acquisition of Compaq in 2003. HP's consumer business negatively affected its overall shipment volume, but its professional business was also under attack by competitors.

Lenovo's worldwide PC shipments were flat compared with the year-ago period. While its shipment growth rate exceeded the overall industry average, it was Lenovo's slowest growth since the first quarter of 2009. The slowdown was attributed to a shipment decline in Asia-Pacific, where more than 50 per cent of Lenovo's PCs were shipped.

Dell also had a challenging quarter, registering a shipment decline in all regions except Japan. In Gartner's preliminary view, Dell's shipment growth in Japan was boosted by moderate demand, driven by a corporate refresh. Dell's discussions about a possible leveraged buyout impacted shipments, as competitors aggressively attacked Dell's position in the professional market.

In the US market, PC shipments totalled 14.2 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 9.6 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2012. It marked a record of six consecutive quarters of shipment declines.

"Although the overall economy had some upward momentum, it did not help buoy PC growth, suggesting the economic recovery is having little impact on PC market conditions. Similar to other mature markets, the US will see the installed base of consumer PCs decrease going forward. This is because many of these systems will not be replaced with PCs; they will be displaced by other devices, or simply retired," Kitagawa said.

In Asia-Pacific (APAC), PC shipments totalled 27.6 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 10.3 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2012. The APAC buyers remained cautious in spending amid a fragile economic environment. Both China and India experienced year-over-year shipment declines.

>rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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