HP Leads in January

HP was by far the leading seller of PCs at retail shops in the US, according to newly published info from NPD. Triggered in part by the launch of Windows Vista, the company took over 43 percent of all desktop sales in stores during the month, and also claimed the top spot for notebook at over 23 percent. The company also managed to claim second place in the desktop arena, according to the study, taking over 12 percent through sales of Compaq desktops. Emachines and Toshiba were the company's chief rivals in the desktop and portable spaces at almost 11 percent and 19 percent respectively.

The only non-Windows competitor, Apple, only just edged its way into the top list with just over 10 percent of all notebooks sold in shops. The Mac maker is the only company in the top five of either category to operate its own stores. No information is yet available to determine whether or not these stores were included.

While pointing to retail success, the results are not considered a definitive reflection of US marketshare: some companies, including Dell, sell most or all of their systems through direct orders, bypassing retail stores entirely. However, the results ultimately confirm HP reaping the greatest amount of extra sales from the Vista PC surge and its virtual dominance of floor space. [via Bloomberg]

By Electronista Staff