China surpasses US as worlds largest market for PCs

Personal computer sales in mainland China exceeded sales in the US for the first time in the second quarter, driven by increased customer demand and government spending, the Wall Street Journal reported. Approximately 18.5 million units were shipped in China in Q2, compared with 17.7 million in the US – although upcoming holiday sales in the US are expected to boost US numbers back into the top spot for 2011. PC sales have taken off in emerging economies like China, while slowing in developed markets. Foreign manufactures have increased investment in the Chinese market with mixed results. Dell (DELL.NASDAQ) has increased its market share to 10.4%, while HP (HPQ.NYSE) has seen its share decline to 8.5%. Both trail far behind domestic market leader Lenovo’s (0992.HKG) 31.7% share.