ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK: Market share a mixed blessing for PC makers
These numbers tell a very different story from the overall statistics
When a tiny recovery in the PC market was reported by global consulting firm International Data Corporation at the end of last year, it was a mixed blessing for computer makers. While it reported that sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 had increased a minuscule 0.7%, it also showed a decline for the full year of 0.2%. "This makes 2017 the most stable year the market has seen since 2011," the firm said at the time. It meant, however, that the few companies that did see PC sales growth would have been offset by many others that saw declines. HP, Lenovo, Dell and Apple all grew market share, while sales fell for Asus and Acer. Acer, however, moved from sixth place into fifth place for the full year, overtaking Asus. Ironically, its rise came precisely because it did not chase overall market share. Instead, it focused intensively on its two areas of strength, namely, the gaming and educational markets. At its annual global press conference in New York this week, Acer lifted the lid on ...
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