The Wall Street Journal-20080117-Dell Widens U-S- Computer-Sales Lead
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Dell Widens U.S. Computer-Sales Lead
Dell Inc.'s leading share of U.S. personal-computer sales jumped during the last three months of 2007, even while Hewlett-Packard Inc. was hitting a two-year U.S. market-share high, according to new data.
Meanwhile, world-wide sales of personal computers grew a healthy 15.5% in the quarter, according to data collected by IDC Research. Another market researcher, Gartner Inc., said the gain was a more modest 13.4%. Overall, both sets of data showed no softening in U.S. personal-computer sales from September through December, even as the economy weakened amid fears of recession and higher inflation.
IDC still expects U.S. personal-computer sales to grow by 8% this year.
Dell does most of its business in the U.S. According to Gartner, Dell achieved shipments growth at the tail end of 2007 for the first time in the past five quarters, helping Dell creep closer to its two- year-ago high of 33% market share.
No. 2 U.S. seller H-P, however, continues to make gains. Gartner suggested H-P's U.S. share grew by a half percentage point. H-P considers the U.S. market secondary to sales in other countries.
Dell shipped 29.6% of all computers destined for the U.S. between September and December, up from 28% a year ago, according to IDC. Gartner's data had Dell with a 31.4% share.
World-wide, H-P was No. 1 overall, with 50 million computers shipped; Dell was No. 2 with 40 million; and Acer third, with 21.2 million, according to IDC. Lenovo Group Ltd. was fourth, with 20.2 million.
