IDC: PC Market Grew 1.5 Percent in Q1
- Paul Thurrott
- Apr 08, 2024
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IDC reported today that PC sales grew 1.5 percent in the first quarter, which isn’t as exciting or positive as it tried to make this sound.
“After two years of decline, the worldwide traditional PC market returned to growth during the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24) with 59.8 million shipments, growing 1.5% year over year, according to preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker,” the analyst firm reported. “In addition, global PC shipments finally returned to pre-pandemic levels as 1Q24 volumes rivaled those seen in 1Q19 when 60.5 million units were shipped.”
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A quick level set here. You have to be a bit generous not to refer to 1.5 percent growth as “flat,” and while, yes, 59.8 million units does “rival” the PC shipments we experienced in the first quarter of 2019, it’s perhaps important to remember that PC sales that year were neck-in-neck with what was then a record 15-year low. Also, let’s see what Gartner has to say before we pull the trip cord on the balloons and confetti.
While we wait for that, here’s what IDC had to say: PC shipments rose 1.5 percent in the quarter, from 58.9 million units in Q1 2023 to 59.8 million units. Or, by 900,000 units. The firm added that, with “inflation numbers trending down” now, PC shipments have started recovering in most regions, including the United States and Europe. And that only China is holding back the rest of the world. IDC now expects this recovery to continue in 2024, thanks in part to “new AI PCs” and that long-delayed corporate refresh cycle.
The hard numbers: Lenovo was once again the world’s biggest PC maker, with 13.7 million units sold, up 7.8 percent year-over-year (YOY), and 23 percent marketshare. HP came in second, with 12 million units, up 0.2 percent, and 20.1 percent marketshare. Dell (9.3 million, down 2.2 percent, 15.5 percent marketshare), Apple (4.8 million, +14.6%, 8.1% marketshare), and Acer (3.7 million, +9.2%, 6.2% marketshare) rounded out the top five.