Industry news

Global PC demand weathers financial crisis

Preliminary figures from Gartner show that worldwide PC shipments totalled 71.1 million units in the first quarter of 2008, and are growing steadily despite the current economic climate.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) kept its lead during the first quarter of 2008 with a worldwide market share of 18.3 per cent, while Dell came in second with a market share of 14.9 per cent.

Meanwhile according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, international markets compensated for a slippage in US sales, with the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets as well as the Asia/Pacific region coming in more than two points above forecast with continued strength in developing countries.

Bob O'Donnell, vice president of clients and displays for IDC, said: "Notebook purchases are driving consumers beyond one PC per household to one PC per person and manufacturers are reacting by focussing their attention on customisation and personalisation.

"The ability to see and touch these devices in the retail environment and pick one out that matches a consumer's unique style is a critical part of the buying process for consumers," he said.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said however that Europe is more vulnerable than many think to the global financial markets crisis.

The OECD raised its estimate of likely bank losses caused by the subprime crisis to $350-420 billion on Tuesday after previously estimating losses to peak at $200-300 billion.