Sales of notebook computers during the back-to-school rush this year beat expectations, new data from market research firm NPD Group found. While sales of Windows laptops continued to slide compared to last year, the decline was significantly less severe than in the first half of the year according to NPD. Windows notebook sales between July and August dipped 4% compared to the same period in 2010, while sales in the first half of 2011 were down 12% year-over-year. ”The sequential results from NPD’s ...

Apple was the world’s top PC vendor last quarter, having shipped 13.6 million “personal computers” according to market research firm DisplaySearch. The firm includes both Mac computers and iPad tablets in its figures however, whereas most similar reports do not include tablet computers powered by mobile operating systems in the general PC category. Including the iPad, DisplaySearch says that Apple shipped nearly 4 million more PCs than second-ranked HP, which shipped 9.7 million computers in...

Taiwan-based Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute expects roughly 360 million combined personal computers and media tablets to ship in 2011, Taiwan Economic News reports. MIC sees PC shipments growing 6.6% over 2010 to land at more than 320 million units this year, and it thinks shipments of media tablets like Apple’s iPad 2ill w exceed 48 million units in 2011, up 198% from 2010. MIC senior industry analyst Chris Wei notes that the improving global economy and replacement PC purchases in the ...

Market research firm Gartner on Wednesday said that growth of PC sales would slow to 9.3% in 2011 as consumers reduce spending and hold onto their PCs longer. Gartner had previously projected that PC sales would grow 10.5% this year. Beyond belt tightening, Gartner notes that the slowed PC growth is due in part to strong sales of Apple’s iPad line and other tablets. The issue is not that tablets are replacing personal computers, however, as Gartner says these media tablets have just caused consumers to ...

Shares of Acer stock were down nearly 7% on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Tuesday on news that the PC manufacturer had unexpectedly and significantly lowered it’s first-quarter sales estimates. The PC maker had previously estimated its first-quarter PC sales would grow 3% from the previous quarter. Now, Acer has adjusted its forecast, saying it expects sales to drop 10% compared to the prior quarter. Asustek, an Acer competitor, is also struggling with similar sales declines in the first quarter. Acer cite...

Just in case the current economic climate didn’t tip you off, Gartner has issued new predictions for PC sales in 2009 and things don’t look good. You don’t say? According to the firm, the PC market is in for its sharpest decline ever in 2009 with sales expected to drop a massive 11.9 percent. Should Gartner’s prediction be accurate, the PC business is in for a decline nearly three times its current record slide of 3.2 percent in 2001. Insights from George Shiffler, research director at...