Consumer Electronics

PC Sales Show Fastest Growth in 6 Years, Apple Takes Fourth Place

Stephen Lam / Getty Images

Just when it appeared that the smartphone would kill the computer forever, PC sales have picked up the most in the last six year. According to research firm IDC, the growth rate in the second quarter of this year was the best since the first quarter of 2012. Among the top five PC makers in the world, HP led the market, followed by Lenovo, Dell, Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Acer

According to IDC’s “Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker,”

Preliminary results for the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) showed shipments of traditional PCs (desktop, notebook, and workstation) totaled 62.3 million units, recording solid year-on-year growth of 2.7%.

Jay Chou, research manager of the IDC division said:

“Although traditional PCs may not be the default device for many usage scenarios, the market continues to show pockets of resiliency as PC usage experience evolves and improves. Even certain types of desktops are seeing growth amid this business-driven refresh cycle.”

During the period, HP shipped 14.9 million PCs. Lenovo shipped 13.8 million. Dell shipped 11.3 million. Apple shipped 4.3 million, and Acer shipped 4.2 million. The Lenovo numbers include shipment from a joint venture with Fujitsu

Methodology:

 

  • Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users. OEM sales are counted under the company/brand under which they are sold.
  • Traditional PCs include Desktops, Notebooks, and Workstations and do not include Tablets or x86 Servers. Detachable Tablets and Slate Tablets are part of the Personal Computing Device Tracker but are not addressed in this press release.

 

 

Credit Card Companies Are Doing Something Nuts

Credit card companies are at war. The biggest issuers are handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers.

It’s possible to find cards paying unlimited 1.5%, 2%, and even more today. That’s free money for qualified borrowers, and the type of thing that would be crazy to pass up. Those rewards can add up to thousands of dollars every year in free money, and include other benefits as well.

We’ve assembled some of the best credit cards for users today.  Don’t miss these offers because they won’t be this good forever.

 

Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.