Gartner reports W. Europe Q4 2010 PC shipments total 19.4m-- a 4.4% decline when compared to Q4 2009.
The analyst says the PC market continues what it calls its "downward spiral", with W. European shipments declining by 8.1% between October and end of December 2010. As PC vendors remain cautious and delay orders, mobile PC shipments in the consumer market decline by 2% in the same period.
It's clear consumer spending is shifting from PCs to other devices-- media tablets, gaming machines and e-readers. This is due to the still weak economy, where consumers decide to wait for Q1 2011's new devices and cheaper media tablets.
The harsh winter in a number of countries also minimises foot traffic into retail shops.
The top 3 PC vendors see Y-o-Y declines in W. Europe-- HP regains top position in Q4 2010 (from Acer) with 22.1% market share, retaining the lead in the professional and desk-based PC segments, but losing the top position to Acer in the consumer PC segment. Acer has 20.8% market share (down by 2.2% from last year), with a 13.5% decline in shipments. Dell comes third, with 9.8% market share, thanks to a slight pickup in professional PC demand.
Gartner also says W. Europe's professional PC market ultimately remains flat in Q4 2010-- increasing Euro/Dollar exchange rates limit any price reductions, resulting in a 0.9% Y-o-Y increase.
Go Gartner Says Western Europe PC Market Declined 4 Percent in Fourth Quarter of 2010
