The EMEA PC market remains "constrained as expected" in Q3 2012 according to IDC, as continued economic pressures within business space and competition with mobile devices within the consumer segment keep both supply chain and buyers cautious.
The analyst says July and Agust saw low EMEA sell-in levels (due to vendors focusing on leaner inventory levels) while boosting September shipments were new Windows 8 systems and an "attractive" ultrabook and ultra slim line up.
On a global level, the PC market continues to contract-- with Q3 2012 shipments declining by -8.6% Y-o-Y, below earlier IDC forecasts of a -3.8% drop. Contributors to the global shipment decline include pressures from mobile devices, Windows 8 uncertainties and a continually bleak economic outlook.
"The results show the vulnerability of PCs and the loss of mindshare among buyers who until recent years have flocked to back-to-school promotions in Q3" IDC remarks.
However the analyst remains hopeful, predicting Q4 2012 might return to growth thanks to "innovative new products and designs" hitting the holiday season shelves.
When it comes to vendors, HP remains on top despite a -16% Y-o-Y reduction in Q3 2012 shipments... not to mention reorganisation distractions, challenges in the integration of recent enterprise acquisitions and the lack of a clear strategy.
Lenovo registers the highest growth among all top vendors (10.2% Y-o-Y) through the building of channel partnership and key OEM acquisitions. Dell follows with a -14% drop in shipments due to "tepid" PC refresh activity in EMEA.
Acer also struggles to return to growth, with shipments dropping by -9.6% Y-o-Y as the low-price notebook market remains dim. Acer might return to growth in Q4 2012, should Windows 8 find popularity within ultrabooks and tablets.
