Apple and Dell see third quarter market gains as HP maintains lead

By Stevie Smith Oct 19, 2007, 13:12 GMT

Hewlett Packard holds global market lead in Q3, 2007 as Apple and Dell push forward in the U.S. market. Credit: HP

Information and technology research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc. has this week released its preliminary numbers for the third quarter of 2007, which showcases all the industry movers and the shakers throughout the hotly contested computer vendor arena.

From a US standoint, Gartner’s figures reveal that Dell, Inc. shifted a sizeable 4.83 million units of hardware during the third quarter, equating to a leading market share of 29.1 percent. However, the Texas-based computer giant lost some 5.5 percent in year-on-year performance when compated to Q3, 2006.

Conversely, Hewlett Packard showed considerable year-on-year growth across the third quarter, which amounted to 16.5 percent against 2006 for a solid second place in the US market with 4.2 million units sold and a 25.7 percent share. Apple, Inc. shifted up into third place (at the expense of Gateway) with 8.1 percent of Q3’s market, notching up 1.33 million units and registering an impressive year-on-year growth rate of 37.2 percent.

Toshiba Corporation also knocked Gateway down a place by securing fourth place with 945,000 units shipped, 5.7 percent market share, and 16.3 percent year-on-year growth. All of which left last year’s joint-third vendor Gateway, Inc. languishing in fifth with 865,000 units, and negative growth of 14.4 percent.

However, Gartner’s global market figures for the third quarter differ somewhat from the US numbers. Specifically, Hewlett Packard maintains its lead position with 12,845,000 units sold for an 18.8 percent market share and 33.1 percent of year-on-year market growth. Dell sits in second with 9,856,000 units sold, a 14.4 percent quarterly share, and growth of 3.5 percent.

"The consumer PC market continues to drive worldwide PC market growth," said Mikako Kitagawa of Gartner’s Client Computing Markets group in an MSN Money article. "Back-to-school sales were a major growth factor in mature regions, although U.S. sales were softer than expected. The popularity of mobile PCs in the home market continues to propel growth."

Acer, Inc. shot into third place with 5,545,000 units, 8.1 percent of the market, and a massive growth rate of 58 percent. Lenovo sits in fourth with 5,480,000 units, 8.0 percent market share, and growth of 22.8 percent, with Toshiba rounding out the top five with 3,018,000 units, 4.4 percent market share, and 22.6 percent growth.