Research firm IDC reports that worldwide PC shipments grew at 15 percent in the second quarter of 2008. The quarter also saw Apple roughly tie Acer in the US market, assuming fourth place and missing third place by only a few thousand units. Demand in the United States suffered from the ongoing economic pressure, with rowth in the low single-digits. Dell continued its recovery with another quarter of double-digit growth, while HP saw year on year growth rise from the first quarter. Portable adoption continues to be a key driver, even though consumer share is generally at its lowest during the second quarter.

The Japan market remained sluggish overall, although growth in mid-single digits was up from the first quarter with contributions from both consumer and commercial segments. HP remains the worldwide market leader with solid growth of 16.8%. Acer continued to expand worldwide shipments by roughly 64% year on year for a second consecutive quarter. Lenovo remained strong, while gains in other markets improved.