Worldwide PC Sales

Worldwide personal-computer shipments dropped in the first quarter as consumers in emerging markets opted for smartphones and tablets, while corporate demand helped slow the pace of the decline, researchers said.

Unit sales fell 1.7 percent from a year earlier to 76.6 million, market researcher Gartner Inc. said yesterday in a statement. IDC, another technology-research firm, said quarterly shipments worldwide fell 4.4 percent to 73.4 million.

The PC market is on course for a third annual contraction, threatening earnings at companies that rely on sales of the devices, such as Intel Corp. (INTC) and Hewlett-Packard Co. One bright spot in the first quarter was an increase in business orders for desktop machines ahead of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s end to support for its Windows XP operating system, Gartner said.

“While the PC market remains weak, it is showing signs of improvement compared to last year,” Mikako Kitagawa, an analyst at Gartner, said in the statement. In January, the Stamford, Connecticut-based researcher said PC shipments fell 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter, and 10 percent in 2013.

Shipments in the U.S. reached 14.1 million units, a gain of 2.1 percent from a year ago, Gartner said. In the Asia-Pacific region, units shipped were 24.9 million, down 11 percent. IDC said U.S. unit sales slipped 0.6 percent to 14.3 million.