DisplaySearch: Notebook Market Up 35%

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The global notebook PC market in the first quarter of 2008 saw 31 million units shipped, which translates to a year-on-year increase of 35 percent and a quarter-to-quarter decline of 6 percent, according to the latest Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report from market research firm DisplaySearch.

Hewlett-Packard maintained its position at the top of the notebook market for the seventh consecutive quarter, with 20 percent of the market and a lead of almost 2 million units over runner-up Dell.

DisplaySearch said Dell's increased focus on retail sales and on growing its business in China allowed it to increase its global notebook share to 15 percent, which subsequently allowed it to gain a small lead over Acer in the quarter.

The firm also noted "a significant shift among the smaller brands." It said Apple moved up to No.7 after four quarters as No. 8. Asus took Apple's former position, partly from growth and partly because of Sony's gradual fall from No. 6 in the third quarter of 2007, then to No. 7 in the fourth quarter of 2007, and then slipped to No. 9 in the first quarter of 2008.

Among other key findings in the report, DisplaySearch said 15.4-inch panels with 1,280 by 800 resolution accounted for almost half of all notebook PCs shipped in the quarter. It said 14.1-inch panels with the same resolution were the second most popular, with 22 percent share.