https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180712005904/en/

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 12, 2018--Preliminary results for the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) showed shipments of traditional PCs (desktop, notebook, and workstation) totaled 62.3 million units, recording solid year-on-year growth of 2.7%, according to the International Data Corporation ( IDC ) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. The results exceeded IDC's forecast of 0.3% growth and marks the strongest year-on-year growth rate in more than six years, when the first quarter of 2012 posted growth of 4.2%.

Although helped to some extent by a weak second quarter in 2017, which was somewhat impacted by key component issues, the 2Q18 results decidedly bucked the trend from the previous three quarters, which had the market hovering slightly above or below flat growth. Once again business volume appeared to be the key driver with the top three companies reaping benefits across both desktop and notebook. Moreover, the market continued to grow for both premium as well as entry models. Chrome OS-based devices, premium notebooks, and gaming PCs all further fueled the mix in the wake of improved supply and prices of graphic cards.