Gartner thinks PC sales will do better…

Earlier this year Gartner expected a WW PC sales decline of -12% but now it's only - 2% (285m units in 2009).

WW 80.9m units shipped in 3Q 09, a 0.5% increase from Q3 08.

EMEA showed a double-digit decline in Q3 as PC shipments fell to 26m units, a -10.1% from Q3 2008.

But Europe declined only 4.5% Q-to-Q, an indication of bottoming out of the slump and a modest return to seasonal patterns.

Go Gartner PC Research

IT companies are looking for acquisitions as organic growth is difficult given the poor economy. And valuations are very cheap now.

That's why IBM (with $13 billion in cash) wants to buy Sun for $6.5 billion. IBM wants to become a one-stop shop for all IT related offerings, whether  hardware, software services or solutions.

IBM is the world's largest maker of servers (IDC, Q4 2008) with a market share of 36.3%. HP came next with 29.0%, Dell 10.6%, Sun 9.3% and Fujitsu (now without Continue reading...

Up 40%, WW notebook shipments surpassed desktops for the first time in Q3 reaching 38.6m units, while desktop ended its era with 38.5m (-1.3%).

PC shipments in Q3 rose 15.4% to 79 million units. iSuppli sees year 2008 unit growth as up with 13.0% but revised 2009 to just 4.3%. To calculate where that leaves desktops in 2009, do the math that suggests desktop’s contraction will reach double-digits.

Go iSuppli

Asus Eee PC might get the credit for starting the netbook market, but Acer Aspire could go to the bank with 6 million units this year, while Eee PC shipments hit 5 million.

Asus forecast Q4 shipments of the Eee PC at between 1.6 - 1.8 million units, compared to 1.7m units in Q3. Acer says its netbook shipments climbed to 2.4 million units in Q3 and will exceed that in Q4.

Next year, Acer will ship 12 million to 15 million Aspire ones, Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci said. Asustek declined to comment on Continue reading...

The now-famous Mac vs. PC ad campaign not only stole customers but tweaked Microsoft’s corporate ego unmercifully. OK, Bill’s ego, too.

Not that Microsoft is petty or vengeful, but it’s "I'm a PC" ad campaign has to remind you of the sibling that insists upon doing to you exactly what you did to them, always insisting, "Got you back! How do you like it?’

Now Microsoft is putting video kiosks just outside the front door of Apple stores. In Birmingham, UK, Continue reading...

Intel created Linux-based Moblin OS for devices that run on Intel Atom microprocessors.

Now the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs will jointly establish a center to develop and promote Moblin OS for devices such Atom-based mobile Internet devices, netbooks, nettops and in-vehicle-infotainment systems.

If it works, this agreement with the government will give Taiwan makers a viable option to Vista (or XP). Given the sales ramp of internet devices, Moblin could soon be most popular OS after Microsoft. Continue reading...

Gartner says PC shipments in EMEA hit 28.8 million units in Q3, a 25.9% increase from last year. Sure, you have to credit cheaper mini-notebooks for a re-shaping of the market leaders.

For the first time since HP bought Compaq, HP lost its No. 1 PC position in EMEA. Acer took first by selling netbooks and selling into telco retail channels across W. Europe. Acer sold 20.6% of shipments in the region, and HP accounted for 18.7% in Q3.

"What do you have to say, HP?" HP launches a new Mini Continue reading...

The top-selling HDD capacity for notebooks in six W. European countries became 250GB for the first time in August, with 23% share, outselling 160GB (22%) and 120GB (21%).

Context research says distribution sales (for France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK) also highlights 80GB in fourth position with 10% (stable over the previous month), while 320GB jumps from 5% (July) to 8% (August).

Go See the Chart & Unit Sales