Struggles in the East
The slides from IDC's presentation make it clear quite how ‘two speed' Europe has become with respect to PC sales growth.
According to Morvay, a big contributor to the contraction in Eastern Europe has been Russia, where the credit crunch has had a profound effect on demand and the ability to do business.
The lower a country's per capita income, the more of a luxury a PC is and the more likely it is that consumers will have to rely on loans to be able to buy one. Hence demand in the richer countries is holding up better.
Regarding the vendors, the big players continue to increase their dominance. HP maintaining the number one position is particularly impressive as it has a relatively weak netbook offering.
