14 DAY TRIAL // According to a recent market report from the IDC, notebook shipments in the US market for the third quarter of 2008 achieved over 50% share, thus surpassing the quarterly shipments of desktop computer systems. The numbers indicate a first time for notebooks in the history of computer systems, as they managed to take a solid 55.2% share of the market, according to preliminary figures provided by the IDC.
In the third quarter of 2008, the US market registered a record volume of notebook shipped units of over 9.5 million, which counts for more than 18% growth, both year over year and on a sequential basis. The figures are even more impressive in the context of the current financial crisis, which appears not to have influenced the US PC market, despite numerous headlines on the issue. In addition, according to the same source, the preliminary figures were achieved amid an active back-to-school season, of which the systems vendors appear to have taken full advantage.
The IDC reports that almost all leading vendors, offering both desktop and portable systems, have managed to ship more notebooks than desktops, in the third quarter. Major retailers, such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo, have managed to exceed the 65% notebook ratio, while ASUS and Samsung also recorded a market share growth in the US market for Q3 2008. The last two vendors are likely to improve their market performance, as they can provide lower-priced systems to stimulate demand.
“The consumer market continued to be the top driving factor in the notebook offensive but the commercial sector played a critical role too.” says David Daoud, research manager, US Quarterly PC Tracker and Personal Systems at IDC. “The consumer market has long favored notebooks, with mobile ratios exceeding the 70% mark. So it is clear that the small and mid-markets, as well as the enterprise and public sector buyers, are seeing good value in mobility.”