ConsumerIT - For Europe's High Volume PC Retailers, Distributors & Builders

Apple makes more headway in China-- its greater China Q2 2011 sales (by shipment volume) overtake those of Lenovo, the world's 3rd biggest PC maker, according to the Financial Times.

Apple's Q2 2011 sales in greater China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) reach $3.8Bn, while Lenovo's total $2.8Bn-- even if Lenovo's "greater China" sales don't include Hong Kong and Taiwan.

However analysts say Lenovo's Hong Kong and Tales don't make up the $1Bn gap.

Lenovo CE Yang Yuanqing's reponse to the above findings? Dismissal, telling the FT "that is not an 'apples to apples' calculation."

His reasoning is as such-- Apple's number include phones, a segment Lenovo isn't too strong in as it concentrates on PCs. Lenovo remains China's top PC vendor, with Q2 2011 PC market share reaching 31.7%.

Lenovo appears optimistic in its 2011 outlook-- telling the FT it will start earning gains from Medion (its German acquisition) from Q3 2011.

It also plans to challenge Apple at its own ball game-- in the tablet market, with an Android and Windows tablet portfolio complete with lower-priced offerings.

Go Apple Overtakes Lenovo in China Sales

Go Lenovo Chief Lays Down Apple Challenge

It had to come. If not now, later, but the end always comes. Steve Jobs resigns, handing Apple over to Tim Cook. You can read Steve's own short resignation letter here.

The computer world, the consumer electronics world...aye, the whole world...is worse off for the resignation of Steve Jobs.

You know he wouldn't resign if it wasn't for his health. The body gives out long before the spirit and that just drenches this news with a rain of sadness.

Across the world, an outpouring of emotion washes across the internet--much delivered via the now-famous devices that Steve built.

It was 1976, actually on April Fools' Day, that the two Steves-- Wozniak and Jobs-- created a new computer circuit board in a Silicon Valley garage. I actually remember their first press release later that year...and I discarded it as insignificant at the time. How would you have ever known? The electronics trade press that year were full of the rise of Sony's Betamax, boomboxes, and personal computers were not yet.

Why do we love Steve Jobs so much?

If the Number One PC maker jumping out of the PC business didn't scare you, then maybe it was the Gartner report. The one that noted PC sales were down nearly 19% in Europe and not coming back. Or maybe you read all those news  articles about the large retailers who are showing up in the RED for their 2011 earnings calls?

Let's stop kidding ourselves: PC sales are down and we don't know when or if they are coming back. If people buy less PCs, they will buy less PC components, accessories, peripherals and etc.

So what can we do? If you are a retailer, reseller, or distributor, here are some thoughts:

The W. European e-book market grows by over 400% in 2010 according to Futuresource, reaching over 10M paid-for downloads-- and should reach unit sales of 32M in 2011.

The e-book market is still young-- representing less than 1% of total consumer book spending-- with "enormous opportunities within the market." Futuresource predicts W.European e-book revenues will reach  €1.6 billion by 2015, accounting for 15% of the region's physical book spending.

The UK dominates Europe's e-book market, generating nearly half of 2010 W. European e-book spending. Futuresource predicts UK e-book sales to reach totals of £100M in 2011.

The analyst sees a "notable change" within the industry towards e-books, as publishers and retailers push towards digital revenue streams in a bid to offset the decline of the once-stable W. European physical book market.

2010 was the first full year where e-readers were readily avilable at retail throughout many European countries, including Italy and spain. As local language content and demand develop, the W. European market's significance on the world stage will continue developing, Futuresource concludes.

Go E-Book Market Tracker (Futuresource)