Mobile PC growth was a big contributor for U.S. PC growth, and Apple shows greatest growth rate among PC manufacturers

Worldwide PC shipments grew 12.3 percent from Q1 of 2007, according to a new report by Gartner, Inc. Hewlett-Packard extended its lead during the first quarter of 2008, as its worldwide market share increased to 18.3 percent, compared to a year ago. However, its regional performance was mixed. HP registered solid growth in EMEA and other regions while it struggled to increase shipment volumes in the U.S. market.

Dell registered its second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in the worldwide market. Dell extended its lead in the U.S. PC market with its market share reaching 31.4 percent.

U.S. PC shipments reached 15.2 million units in the first quarter of 2008, a 3 percent increase from the same period last year. “Home mobile PC growth continued to drive U.S. PC growth,” said Mika Kitagawa, principal analyst for Gartner’s Client Computing Markets group. “Despite declining consumer confidence, U.S. consumers did not put off mobile PC purchases as evidenced by solid mobile growth during the first quarter. This growth was stimulated in part by aggressive price cuts.”

Acer is trying to shift its target market from low-end to mid-range systems, and the shift has adversely affected Acer’s shipment volume. Gartner’s early results indicate that Apple experienced the strongest growth rate among the top 5 vendors in the U.S. market. Apple enjoyed strong retail sales, and there were indications that Apple showed decent growth in the professional market as well.