personal-computer (PC) industry posted moderate gains for the year, according to preliminary data from Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Group Inc. (San Jose, CA; www.gartner.com). Worldwide PC shipments reached 134.7 million units in 2000, an increase of 14.5% over 1999 shipments. PC shipments in the United States rose 10.3% in 2000.
"The PC industry was hurt by a sluggish 2000 fourth quarter when worldwide PC shipments increased just 10% and US shipments increased 6.4%," says Charles Smulders, principal analyst of Gartner Dataquest's computing platform worldwide group. "The downturn in growth is evidence that saturation in key segments is playing an increasingly important role in overall market growth, with new shipments unable to mask the effects of economic cycles on replacement buying."
The worldwide leading computer suppliers in 2000 were Compaq Computer at 17.2 million units shipped and 12.8% market share, Dell Computer at 14.5 million units shipped and 10.8% market share, and Hewlett-Packard at 10.2 million units shipped and 7.6% market share.
Smulders adds, "While lower growth rates during the fourth quarter last year made for a disappointing quarter, it does help allay some of the fears of inventory overhang going into the first quarter of 2001, particularly in the US retail market."
