DisplaySearch announced that Apple captured a 12.4% share of global mobile PC shipments in Q3 2010.

For more information visit: www.displaysearch.com

Unedited press release follows:

“iPad Effect” Continues, As Apple Gains Market Share in Developed Regions

Preliminary DisplaySearch Mobile PC Results Indicate HP Maintains Global Leadership, While Apple Leads in North America

Santa Clara, California, December 6, 2010—Capturing a 12.4% share of global mobile PC shipments in Q3’10, Apple is benefiting from the iPad Effect, which continues to shake up the mobile PC market. According to preliminary results from the DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report*, Apple took the #3 position worldwide, and ranks #1 in North America as a result of the continued success of the iPad. The iPad accounts for an 8% share of global shipments of all mobile PCs. 95% of iPad shipments were to developed regions, primarily North America.

“A lack of competitive tablet PC products from other brands continues to drive Apple’s market share in the mobile PC segment. As the iPad continues its worldwide rollout, one developed region where the acceptance of the iPad has been weak is Japan, however. Questions of local language content and language-specific apps have slowed acceptance in this tech savvy region,” noted Chris Connery, Vice President of Large Format Displays at DisplaySearch. “As other players come to market with tablet PCs it will be interesting to see if they can move beyond the Western-centric nature of Apple’s product and develop an infrastructure to support local needs, especially with the growth of consumer spending in China on personal computing devices.”

“On a global scale, the adoption of iPad is not without its challenges,” noted Hidetoshi Himuro, Director of IT Market Research at DisplaySearch. “Localized content in non-English speaking regions is sparse, and iPad owners must have a PC for downloading content from iTunes. As a result, penetration in developing regions will be slow.”

HP maintained its position as the global leader in mobile PC shipments with 9.5 million units shipped in Q3’10, accounting for a 17.3% market share. Acer followed close behind with 9.1 million units shipped and a 16.5% market share. Apple’s MacBook shipments have also increased, but have not had the impact of the iPad. Without the iPad, Apple’s mobile PC share would be 4.8%, ranking #8 globally. The top five brands account for 65.2% of the total mobile PC market, as the strength of brand names continues to grow.

Table 1: Preliminary Q3’10 Worldwide Mobile PC Shipment Rankings by Brand (millions)

Source: DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report

In Q3’10, worldwide mobile PC shipments (which include tablet PCs) reached 55 million, up 9.6% Q/Q and 19% Y/Y, the highest volume since DisplaySearch first began to track this segment in 1999.

Both sequential and yearly growth seemed strong in many regions, but it should be noted that new personal computing devices such as netbooks and tablet PCs, as well as lower-priced notebooks, are driving most of the demand. In high-growth regions such as China, consumers still favor traditional desktop PC and external monitor configurations, typically purchased as a DIY (do-it-yourself) kit, for home use. However, the market is changing quickly in China, so the transition from desktop to mobile PCs is poised to happen much faster in this region than it did in others. Recognizing the evolving definition of a “personal computer,” especially for consumers, is key to understanding the true demand outlook.

Table 2: Preliminary Q3’10 Mobile PC Unit Shipments by Region (millions)

Source: DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report

The DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report covers the entire range of mobile PC products shipped worldwide and regionally. Covering global and regional brands, the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report provides an objective, expert view of the market with insight into historical shipments, revenues, forecasts and more. For more information about the report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan or more information.

About DisplaySearch
Since 1996, DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge and resources. In collaboration with the NPD Group, its parent company, DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at http://www.displaysearch.com/. Read our blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com/ and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/ and http://www.npdgroupblog.com/. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.