Global PC Shipments Climb 1.1%; Lenovo Keeps Grip on Top Spot

(Bloomberg) -- Worldwide shipments of personal computers increased 1.1% in the third quarter from a year earlier, fueled by companies upgrading to Microsoft Corp.’s latest Windows software.

PC shipments climbed to 68 million units in the period that ended Sept. 30, researcher Gartner Inc. said Thursday in a report. Lenovo Group Ltd., the China-based owner of the ThinkPad lineup of professional devices, held almost 25% of the global market, widening its lead against U.S. rival HP Inc.

Computer makers have been concerned by the U.S.-China trade war and Intel Corp.’s chip shortage, but Mikako Kitagawa, a Gartner analyst, said neither played a major role in the third-quarter shipments. “The Windows 10 refresh cycle continued to be the primary driver for growth across all regions,” she said in a statement.

HP, the global No. 2, continues to be the largest PC vendor in the U.S. The company has sought customers seeking more expensive machines, such as gaming enthusiasts, to boost profit margins. Dell Technologies Inc., which focuses on selling corporate PCs, rounded out the global top three while Apple Inc. held the fourth spot with 7.5% of the worldwide market.

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