This IDC study reviews the performance of the worldwide PC market during 3Q08. It looks at the market performance of desktop and portable PCs and provides some commentary on x86 servers in major geographies, including the United States, Western Europe, Japan, Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APEJ), and the rest of the world (ROW). Details on unit shipments, market value, and average selling prices (ASPs) are provided, along with a review of the competitive performance of the top PC vendors.

"The worldwide PC market grew by 14.7% year on year, slightly below expectations, but still remarkable considering the economic crisis toward the end of quarter. Sequentially, the market expanded by 12.8%, which was standard growth for the back-to-school season. However, we anticipate the global market to slow down substantially in 4Q08 through 2009, generating low single-digit growth, peaking in 4Q09 with 8% year-on-year growth," says Doug Bell, analyst, United States Quarterly PC Tracker.