Some Ultra Disappointments for Computer Makers

The New York Times: New reports from IDC and Gartner show that during the second quarter, PC sales declined 0.1 percent year-over-year. Both firms singled out the laptop category, particularly ultrabooks, for the dismal showing. “Ultrabooks have not yet produced a significant rise in volumes – in part due to anticipation of improvements such as Windows 8, which is expected later this year, but also due to pricing,” IDC said.

HP continues to lead the PC market, but its market share declined from 16.9 percent to 14.9 percent. Lenovo came in second, increasing its market share from 12.7 percent to 14.7 percent, followed by Acer (11 percent) and Dell (10.7 percent).