European PC sales boosted by iPad

PC sales have been boosted by the release of the iPad

Technology tracking firm Context has released data suggesting that firms are readily investing in IT, at least in hardware.

Sales of PCs in Europe are holding up, and are leading to increased revenue growth at the vendor level, the firm said.

Context studied sales to consumers and enterprises, and said that sales of desktops, notebooks and servers increased across 14 European countries by 10 per cent when compared against the same time last year.

Sales have dropped a little over 2010 so far, but Context believes this is nothing to worry about.

"The 10 per cent unit growth rate for Q2 2010 was less than the 15.7 per cent we saw in the first quarter of this year," said Context senior PC analyst Marie-Christine Pygott.

"Sequentially, the Q2 drop-off in sales was four points greater at 18.3 per cent than 2009. However, the growth during this quarter was double the rate in Q2 2009 which is encouraging for the rest of 2010."

Sales were boosted by the release of devices including the iPad, which saw tablet PC sales grow by over 250 per cent. Netbooks seem to be taking a hit, however, as more users embrace the tablet form factor.

The release of Windows 7 will continue to have a positive effect on desktop sales, according to the firm, as will back-to-school sales. These should help offset any potential impact caused by a weak European currency.