PC manufacturers in western Europe defied the economic meltdown in the last few months of 2008, shipping 12 per cent more units than during the same period in 2007, according to new figures released today by Gartner.

The analyst firm recorded a total of 20.1 million units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2008, and 66 million units shipped in the region over the course of the year, representing an increase of 17.2 per cent over 2007.

But Gartner warned that this level of growth could be set to tail off. " While growth in PC sales in western Europe was good, the underlying trend was down, with the professional market experiencing a five per cent decline in the fourth quarter of 2008," said Ranjit Atwal, principal analyst at Gartner.

"If it wasn't for mini notebooks, the overall western European market would be showing a decline. This does not bode well for 2009, as we expect the general economic conditions to worsen."

Average selling prices in the fourth quarter of 2008 fell by 15 per cent, according to Gartner. HP led the pack with a 23.2 per cent market share of PC sales, while Acer came a close second with 20.3 per cent. Dell was in third place with 10.1 per cent.