Lenovo takes top spot from HP as PC market slumps

10.10.2012
Lenovo has taken the crown from Hewlett-Packard to become the world's top seller of PCs, research firm Gartner said in a study released Wednesday.

Lenovo took the top spot during a quarter in which PC shipments dropped overall due to a weak economy and pressure from mobile devices.

Of the top four PC vendors, only Lenovo was able to grow its shipments. Its PC sales increased by almost 10 percent to 13.77 million units, giving it 15.7 percent of the market, Gartner said.

HP's shipments dropped 16.4 percent to 13.55 million units, putting it in second place with 15.5 percent of the market. Dell was in third place after its shipments declined 13.7 percent, giving it 10.5 percent of the market.

A similar study released Wednesday by IDC had HP clinging to its top spot, with 13.95 million PCs sold compared to 13.82 million for Lenovo.

Lenovo benefitted from building up its distribution channel and from "missteps" by its rivals, IDC said. HP is still trying to get its PC business back on track after reversing a plan to sell or spin off the division. Dell has been moving away from lower-margin PCs and focusing on products that yield bigger profits.