Once-mighty Microsoft with its Windows operating system has lost it’s leading edge in the PC market, as Apple sales soar to the top of the personal computer market.
Apple sold more PCs worldwide last quarter — 21 million — than any of its competitors, according to the tally by the U.K.-based independent analyst firm Canalys.
To add insult to injury, Microsoft, which doesn’t have a tablet operating system, saw sales of Windows-powered PCs hit an all-time low as a percentage of total sales.
A word of caution: Canalys counts tablets 7-in. or larger as PCs, because they’re used for many of the same purposes as a notebook or even a desktop. By that definition, Apple, which sold 17 million iPads and 4 million Macs during the period that ended June 30 — shot to the top of the chart.
Apple regained the No. 1 position in the second quarter after losing it in the first to Hewlett-Packard. The Cupertino, Calif. maker of Macs and iPads had last been the world’s top-selling PC seller in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Canalys also reported that global client PC shipments rose 12% year on year in Q2 2012. Growth in tablets more than compensated for disappointing sales of Ultrabooks.
The new iPad had the biggest single impact on growth rates in the quarter, but Asus and Samsung made progress with their Transformer and Galaxy Tab product lines. Total tablet shipments increased 75% to 24 million units, representing 22% of all PCs.
“Reports that poor economic conditions and the wait for Windows 8 hurt the PC industry this quarter do not tell the whole story,” said Tom Evans, Canalys Research Analyst. “The PC industry is performing well and 2012 is shaping up to be a record year. Vendors with innovative products will reap the rewards.”
Apple retook the overall lead with an estimated 19% share of global PC shipments, helped by strong iPad sales. “There is now a large base of replacement buyers that simply must have the latest Apple product, and the decision to continue shipping the iPad 2 at lower price points has opened up new customers, for example in education,” Evans added
The post Apple sells most PCs, Windows lags appeared first on Finance Tech News.
