14 DAY TRIAL // It’s no secret that the PC market isn’t doing very well these days and a new batch of statistics provided by analyst firm Gartner indicate that another 3.6 percent decline was recorded in the third quarter of 2017.
This means PC shipments worldwide totaled only 67 million units, with the majority of manufacturers experiencing substantial drops.
One such example is Apple, whose Macs no longer appealed to as many buyers as before. Apple sold 4.6 million units during the quarter, down from 4.8 million units in the same period in 2016, with Gartner revealing a decline of 5.6 percent. The market share fell from 7.0 percent to 6.9 percent.
HP and Lenovo continue to be the two leaders, though the latter has recorded a 1.5 percent drop during the quarter, while HP improved by 4.4 percent. Both have sold nearly 14.5 million units in Q3, with a 21.8 versus 21.4 percent market share, respectively.
ASUS was the company that recorded the biggest drop – 9 percent, as it sold only 4.8 million units during the quarter, down from 5.3 million in 2016.
Windows 10 more appealing for enterprises
Gartner says that the business market benefitted from strong Windows 10 demand, but this is probably the sector where Apple fell the most. The enterprise has always been one of Apple’s key targets, but it now looks like Windows 10 is eating up its market share following the most recent improvements that Microsoft made to the operating system.
“Business PC demand, led by Windows 10 upgrades, continued to drive PC shipments across all regions, but its refresh schedule varies by region. The countries with stable economies, such as the U.S., have created a positive sentiment among businesses, especially for small and midsized businesses (SMBs), which are more vulnerable to external events, such as economic or political,” Gartner said.
The United States, again a top market for Apple, also experienced a major 10.3 percent decline, with only 14.7 million units sold during the quarter. This was the third consecutive quarter of declining PC shipments in the United States.
