BBC News Online19/10/01
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1606000/1606141.stm
Global PC sales continue to fall
The slowdown in sales is spreading from the US Worldwide personal computer
sales slumped over the summer, a survey by research firm Gartner Dataquest
has revealed.
Gartner's latest report confirms that demand is weakening, and says last
month's terrorist attacks on the US have exacerbated the slowdown in an
already weak market.
PC sales were earlier this year found to have fallen for the first time in
15 years, hit by slowing economic growth, particularly in the US, which
accounts for 40% of the world market.
Global PC shipments in the July to September quarter came in at 30.7 million
units, 11.6% lower than in the same period last year.
Dell keeps top slot
Worldwide sales for 2001 could come in 6% down on last year, Gartner analyst
Charles Smulders said.
Among computer makers, US giant Dell has retained its position as market
leader, after taking the top slot from Compaq earlier in the year.
Dell increased its share of global sales to 13.8%, up from 11% a year ago.
Compaq claimed 10.4% of global sales, down from 13.4% a year earlier.
IBM ranked third, despite seeing its market share decline to 6.6% from 7%.
Hewlett-Packard, which is plans to merge with Compaq, earned fourth place
with 6.4% of global shipments.
Slowdown spreads
A worrying sign for the industry is that the impact of the US slowdown is
spreading to Europe and Asia, Gartner said. "The effects of the US economic
downturn came heavily to bear on all economic regions" in the July to
September period, Mr Smulders said.
Registering their first decline since 1986, PC purchases fell 1.9% between
April and June 2001 to 30.4 million units.
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