With the release of Windows 8 just over two weeks away, 3Q12 showed a continuing decline in PC sales, IDC reports, as buyers await the new operating system and as smartphone and tablet devices gain greater global influence.
Reuters
reports this morning that China's Lenovo Group, Ltd. has slightly overtaken Silicon Valley's 73-year-old Hewlett-Packard as the world's number one PC maker. According to statistics from Gartner, a rival to IDC, Lenovo holds a market share of 15.7% compared to HP's 15.5%. While Taiwan's Acer has also made advances, Dell managed to hold onto the third position.
IDC statistics, meanwhile,
still have HP atop the list, but the overall trend has been worrisome for PC makers hoping that Windows 8 can turn things around. HP issued a statement yesterday reinforcing the accuracy of the report from IDC:
“While there are a variety of PC share reports in the market, some don’t measure the market in its entirety. The IDC analysis includes the very important workstation segment and therefore is more comprehensive. In that IDC report, HP occupies the No. 1 position in PCs.”
Earlier in the week, Lenovo revealed the final versions of its IdeaPad Yoga convertible laptop, ThinkPad Twist, and IdeaTab Lynx. The 13-inch, 3.4 lb Yoga, pictured below, becomes available for pre-order today at Best Buy, pricing at $1,099, with an 11-inch version coming in December starting at $799. ArsTechnica has given
less than glowing previews of all three devices, comparing them to the deluge of tablet PCs that first arrived nearly a decade ago, though with updated features reflecting developments on Windows 8.
While the Reuters piece points out aggressive pricing, overseas acquisitions, and a growing domestic market as reasons for China's growth in this sector, the big picture forecast is highly uncertain for PC vendors in light of the broader economic slump and emerging devices.