According to one analyst firm, the combined shipment of desktop and laptop computers in 2024 was 245.3 million units. That’s a big number — a new computer for one out of every thirty or so people on the planet — and it’s showing a growth over 2023. But with the previous post-pandemic slump in sales, and big pushes around AI and Windows 11, it still feels like a big disappointment.
The numbers come from Gartner, which lays out a lot of statistics for the global and US markets broken down by major manufacturers. Apple’s Mac computers and ChromeOS devices are included. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Asus (9.8 percent growth), Acer, Apple, and Lenovo are the big winners in terms of total shipment increase over Q42023, with HP and Dell getting small dips. Apple, Asus, and Lenovo showed the biggest jumps in market share globally, while HP had a sizable seven percent dip.
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