IDC: Worldwide PC Shipments Fell 13.9% In First Quarter

The IDC reports that worldwide shipments of PCs declined 13.9% in Q1 2013 compared to Q1 2012. The 13.9% decline is much higher than the IDC expected in its forecast. It states that the decline of PC shipments most likely has to do with the poor reception of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. The IDC also states that Microsoft's hybrid tablet/laptops have seen poor sales due to its high prices and inhibited component supplies.In Q1 2013, there were a total of 76,294,000 PCs shipped worldwide. HP accounted for 11,997,000 of those shipments, garnering a 15.7% market share. However, its total shipments last quarter was 23.7% less than the 15,726,000 it shipped in Q1 2012. Lenovo came in second place with 11,700,000 PCs shipped, and 15.3% of the market share. Its PC shipments was off only by 5,000 compared to Q1 2012.Dell came in 3rd place with 9.010,000 PCs shipped, and 11.8% of the market share. Its shipments dropped 10.9% from its 10,110,000 shipments in Q1 2012. Acer came in 4th place with 6,150,000 PCs shipped, claiming 8.1% of the market. It suffered a whopping 31.3% decline from its Q1 2012's 8,952,000 PCs shipped. ASUS comes in last with 4,363,000 PCs shipped, claiming 5.7% of the market. It suffered a 19.2% decline from the 5,401,000 PC shipments it made in Q1 2012.

All of the other PC manufacturers shipped a total of 33,075,000 PCs, claiming the remaining 43.4% of the market. Their shipments dropped 10% from last year when it shipped 36,739,000 PCs. IDC Research Director of Personal Computing, David Daoud, states, "Although the reduction in shipments was not a surprise, the magnitude of the contraction is both surprising and worrisome." According to the IDC, Q1 2013 was the worst quarter ever for PCs, and it has been tracking PC quarterly shipments since 1994. The IDC states that a major factor for this huge decline is most likely due to the restructuring that both HP and Dell are going through