The global PC market is in the fourth quarter 2020 by 23, 1 percent increased to 91, 6 million units shipped. Over the entire year the growth 13 was 1 percent, the IT determined -Market research company IDC. The sales figures 2020 would have experienced the strongest growth again for the first time after a ten-year lean period.

Gartner’s market researchers come to a similar conclusion as IDC. However, you will see a smaller increase for 2020 than IDC. While IDC with 13, 1 percent and total 302, 6 million devices sold sees strong growth, this falls noticeably at Gartner with 4.8 percent and around 275 million devices lower off. The reason for this is likely to be the calculation basis, because Gartner does not consider Chromebooks, for example. According to Gartner, their deliveries were 2020 by 80 percent to around 30 Million units increased.

Market driver Corona pandemic Both IT market research companies attribute the overall strong increase to the need for notebooks and desktop PCs due to the corona pandemic-related switch to mobile working in the home office and homeschooling. However, according to Ryan Reith, vice president of IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers program, sales of gaming PCs and gaming monitors have also increased significantly. “In retrospect, the pandemic not only fueled demand in the PC market, it also created opportunities that led to market expansion,” he summarizes the results.

IDC’s analysis of the PC market takes classic PCs including desktops, notebooks and workstations into account. However, tablets and x 86 servers are not taken into account. This also applies to detachables. Although IDC covers these devices, they are not part of this analysis of the PC market.

Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa sees 2020 a reversal in consumer behavior: “Before 2020 consumers had a focus on the telephone, but the pandemic reversed this trend.” PCs have now become an indispensable device again because people need them to work and study at home.

Lenovo continues to lead In the ranking of the companies with the most shipments 2020, IDC and Gartner agree: Lenovo (IDC 72, 7 million / Gartner: 68, 5 million) is still ahead of HP (IDC 67, 6 million / Gartner: 58, 4 million) and Dell (IDC: 50, 3 million / Gartner: 45 Millions) at the top. In fourth place follows Apple (IDC: 22, 1 million / Gartner: 22, 5 million) and in fifth place Acer (IDC: 30 Millions / Gartner: 16,3 million). According to Gartner, HP lost 2.9 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter, while Gartner sees slight growth of 0.7 percent. Lenovo, on the other hand, has increased by 17, 3 percent, Dell by 8.8 percent and Acer by 17, 5 percent increase.

The big winner is Apple with an increase of 31, 3 percent. Apple’s new MacBooks released in November and the Mac mini with M1 processor may have provided an additional boost.

(olb)