For the first time in six years computer sales showed growth again: in the second quarter of 2018 they increased by 1.4%. According to research firms Gartner and IDC, the sales increase is mainly due to growth in business markets.
Growth due to Windows 10
The sudden growth breaks with the trend of declining interest in the purchase of a personal computer because of the rise of smartphones or tablets. Gartner believes the trend is reversed due to the launch of Windows 10: many companies have decided to replace their computers with one that runs the new Microsoft operating system. The lion’s share of sales comes from the business market. According to Mikako Kitagawa, analyst at Gartner, sales in the consumer market are still declining and the increase in sales of PCs is a temporary phenomenon.
Chinese Lenovo and American HP are both in the running to claim the role of market leader in the consumer market: both companies have a market share of 21.9%. Dell is in third place with 16.8%, Apple has achieved a market share of only 7.1%.
In another study, IDC concludes that the sale of computers grew even faster in the second quarter of 2018. According to the research company, 62.3 million desktops and notebooks passed the counter (compared with 62.1 million at Gartner): 2.7 % more than in 2017.