Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) PC market totaled 10.8 mln units in Q1 2006, representing a YTY growth of 20%. Despite a seasonal slowdown from the Lunar New Year holidays as well as political tension in Southeast Asia, notebooks continued to storm ahead with a solid 54% YTY growth in Q1 2006. In China, shipments slid 14% sequentially due to the effects of the Lunar New Year, but YTY growth was still robust at 23%. Thailand’s PC market was largely unaffected by the country’s political unrest, as PC sales were driven by more entry-level notebooks being introduced into the market. The Philippines PC market also remained healthy as its government continued with its purchases as usual despite the week-long state of emergency and a temporary suspension of its constitution in Q1 2006.
In Q1 2006, HP gained some ground on market leader Lenovo as the latter’s shipments contracted 25% sequentially, compared to HP’s 11% expansion. However, Lenovo’s slide was largely a result of its dependence on China market. Dell maintained its third position, while Acer rose one spot past Founder to take the fourth position as its shipments grew at a robust pace. Acer launched its Core Duo notebooks in Q1 2006 and registered a strong 29% growth in notebook shipments Q4 2005.