Driven in part by highly competitive pricing, worldwide PC shipments totaled 32.8 million units in the second quarter of 2003, a 10% increase from the same period last year, according to preliminary
results from Gartner, Inc.. The worldwide PC market has not experienced double-digit shipment growth since the third quarter of 2000. Dell, the No. 1 vendor based on unit shipments, experienced the
strongest growth rate among the top-tier vendors as its worldwide shipments increased 29.5%. Three of the other top-tier vendors -- Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Fujitsu -- achieved growth rates that
surpassed the industry average. Gartner analysts noted that IBM's shipment increase is a good indicator that the business segment may be improving. U.S. PC shipments in the second quarter of 2003
increased 11.1%, as the market received a boost from the consumer and education segments. Dell increased its lead as the No. 1 vendor of PC shipments in the United States in the second quarter. With
31.1% market share, Dell nearly surpassed the other top four vendors' combined unit shipment share of 32.8%. HP experienced strong home market sales, which helped contribute to its 14.1% growth rate
for the quarter. On a global basis, Gartner analysts said all regions showed positive growth compared with a year ago. EMEA and Latin America exceeded growth expectations, with EMEA's increase
attributed to stronger business growth. Asia Pacific fell below expectations, primarily because of the effects of SARS on business activity in China.