This IDC study reviews the performance of the worldwide PC market during the first quarter of 2012 (1Q12). It looks at the market performance of desktop and portable PCs in major geographies — 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 are provided, along with a review of the competitive landscape of the top PC vendors.

"The worldwide PC market managed limited growth and had weak performance in 1Q12. Saturation in mature markets and a cooling of the global economy are among the various factors that have inhibited growth in 1Q12, an environment likely to persist in the coming quarters as we transition to Windows 8," says Rajani Singh, research analyst, United States Quarterly PC Tracker. "As such, we anticipate the PC market to expand by just about 5% in 2012."