Apple exceeded average market growth in Europe last year, according to market analysts IDC. Europe’s PC market grew 19.7% year-on-year during 2003’s final quarter with business driven by ever-increasing notebook demand and the emergence of the long-awaited corporate refresh cycle that has been absent for four years, analysts firm IDC revealed.
Apple exceeded the curve, shipping over 51,000 Macs in the last three months of 2003 in the UK; a 25% growth in sales year-on-year, IDC told Macworld. IDC figures show that 4.5 mil notebooks shipped in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) in the quarter ? a year-on-year increase of 49% in the notebook market that helped the general PC market climb 19.7%. 10.6 mil desktops also shipped for a year-on-year 10.2% climb. Overall, PC shipments reached record levels in the quarter, IDC said. Apple saw a 10% growth in its desktop sales and a 50% growth in notebook sales, for an overall growth rate of 25%.
Apple also saw its market share stay below the 2% mark worldwide in 2003 and below the 3% mark in the United States for the year, Smulders said.