PC shipments grow 1.9 percent in first quarter, Gartner says

An April 2012 report from market research firm Gartner reveals that PC shipments experienced a period of growth during the first quarter of the year.

According to Gartner, 89 million PCs -- which includes notebook and desktop computers -- shipped during the opening quarter of 2012. That figure was good for 1.9 percent year-over-year growth compared to the first quarter of 2011, researchers say.

Gartner's report explains that the shortage in supply for hard-disk drives (HHDs) caused by the fall 2011 floods in Thailand had a lower-than-expected impact on the PC market.

"In general, the hard-disk drive supply shortage had a limited impact on PC supply during 1Q12," Mikako Kitagawa notes. "There was a moderate impact on selected markets, such as low-end consumer notebooks and the white-box market in selected regions. Still, low PC demand was able to mask the tight HDD supply overall."

Gartner's findings exceed its previous prediction of 1.2 percent growth for the quarter.

Research firm IDC also released a report on the PC market in April 2012 that shows positive growth. That report says PC shipments grew 2.3 percent year over year compared to the first quarter of 2011.