Dell rallies to second place in global PC market

Dell managed to capitalise on a drop in sales at rival Acer

Dell has regained second place in the global PC shipment tables, according to the latest figures from research firm iSuppli.

The gains came at a cost to Acer, which iSuppli said had faced a tough quarter and suffered a drop off in sales.

Dell's sales actually decreased by 1.2 per cent to 10.5 million units compared to the first quarter, giving the firm 12.8 per cent of the market.

Acer's shipments fell by 6.2 per cent against the first quarter, from 10.9 million to 10.2 million, shaving its market share from 13.3 per cent to 12.4 per cent.

Acer suffered a drop in netbook sales, and iSuppli said that its decline is notable given the generally buoyant state of the overall PC market.

"With its product line heavily focused on mobile PCs, Acer's sequential decline in notebook shipments impacted its position at the total PC level more than its competitors, which were able to draw on the upswing in desktop shipments to bolster their total shipments," said Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst for compute platforms research at iSuppli.

HP remains in the lead position with a market share of 18.1 per cent, but the battle for second place is being keenly fought, and Dell will strive to keep its position.

"The second-quarter results show that the market share battle between Dell and Acer is not over," Wilkins added.