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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Yes—by the leading contemporaneous estimates, the combined Hewlett-Packard and Compaq ranked first in worldwide PC unit shipments for calendar 2002. Gartner Dataquest estimated HP at 16.2% of global shipments versus Dell at 15.2%. IDC also placed HP first, but its estimate was much closer: 16.1% for HP and 15.7% for Dell. These were provider estimates of shipments, not a single audited count of sales, revenue or installed computers.
What “No. 1” meant in 2002
The ranking measured worldwide PC unit shipments during the full 2002 calendar year. It did not measure revenue, profit, installed base, customer count or every computer sold through every channel. Gartner Dataquest’s preliminary estimate covered the post-merger HP-Compaq operation, so the comparison was between the combined company and Dell.
Contemporaneous coverage appeared in EE Times, Computerworld and eWeek on January 17, 2003. Because the figures came from separate analysts, the safest conclusion is that both Gartner Dataquest and IDC ranked HP first while differing on the size of its lead.
Gartner Dataquest’s annual ranking
Gartner Dataquest’s preliminary full-year 2002 figures, reported by EE Times, gave HP the following worldwide shipment shares:
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| Vendor | Worldwide PC shipment share |
|---|---|
| Combined HP and Compaq | 16.2% |
| Dell | 15.2% |
| IBM | 6.0% |
| NEC | 3.4% |
| Toshiba | 3.2% |
On this estimate, HP led Dell by 1.0 percentage point. Gartner also estimated 132.4 million PCs shipped worldwide in 2002, a 2.7% increase from 2001. The total and shares were described as preliminary at the time.
Why IDC showed a narrower race
eWeek’s January 17 report cited IDC’s full-year 2002 estimate at 16.1% for HP and 15.7% for Dell—a 0.4-point HP lead. The difference from Gartner’s 1.0-point gap does not make one ranking invalid; it reflects separate market estimates and category methodologies. Neither report supplied a reconciled final figure explaining every difference.
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| Research provider | Period | HP share | Dell share | Implied lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner Dataquest | Full calendar year 2002, preliminary | 16.2% | 15.2% | 1.0 percentage point |
| IDC | Full calendar year 2002 estimate | 16.1% | 15.7% | 0.4 percentage point |
Worldwide leadership did not mean U.S. leadership
The global result should not be read as a U.S. ranking. Computerworld’s report of Gartner Dataquest figures put Dell at 27.9% of U.S. PC share for 2002, compared with 19.8% for HP. HP could therefore lead the worldwide shipment table while Dell remained clearly ahead in the U.S. market.
Geography changes the answer
- Worldwide: HP ranked first in both cited annual estimates.
- United States: Dell led the Gartner figures reported by Computerworld.
- Company scope: Gartner’s annual HP number represented the combined HP-Compaq business.
What drove the result
The market was only beginning a modest recovery. Gartner Dataquest said worldwide shipments grew 2.7% year over year, to 132.4 million units. Computerworld reported that consumer demand—especially for notebooks and other mobile PCs—was stronger than corporate demand. Many businesses delayed upgrades and extended existing PC lifetimes amid economic uncertainty.
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Vendor performance also diverged. Computerworld reported Dell shipments up 18.3% and HP PC sales down 9.3% in Gartner’s year-over-year comparison. Dell’s growth was supported by Asia-Pacific, Japan and Latin America, even though HP’s combined worldwide share ranked higher for the year.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.“In the second half of 2002, the worldwide PC market had two consecutive quarters of year-on-year PC shipment growth,” Gartner Dataquest analyst Charles Smulders said, while cautioning that demand remained near the bottom of a growth cycle without evidence of a significant upturn.
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The separate Q4 claim
HP also said it had “re-gained the No. 1 position” in worldwide PC shipments in Q4 2002, citing IDC data in its Q1 FY2003 investor release. HP described that quarter’s scope as home and business clients, desktops and notebooks, and credited sequential unit-share gains from Q3. That is a quarterly claim and should not be confused with Gartner Dataquest’s preliminary full-year 16.2% statistic.
eWeek quoted HP vice president Jim McDonnell saying HP had outgrown Dell and the market sequentially in Q4. That statement expresses HP’s view of quarter-to-quarter performance; it is not an independent adjudication of the annual ranking.
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How to state the historical verdict accurately
- Say that the combined HP and Compaq ranked first in worldwide PC unit shipments for 2002 according to Gartner Dataquest’s preliminary estimate.
- Note that IDC independently ranked HP first, with a narrower annual lead.
- Keep “worldwide,” “unit shipments,” “full year 2002” and the named provider attached to each percentage.
- Do not translate the ranking into claims about revenue, profitability, installed base or current market position.
- Treat Gartner’s reported 7.6% expected growth for 2003 as a forecast made in January 2003, not as an achieved result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HP outsell Dell in all markets in 2002?
No. HP ranked first in worldwide PC unit shipments in the cited annual estimates, while Dell led the U.S. figures reported by Gartner Dataquest.
Was HP’s 2002 lead based on revenue?
No. The percentages were shares of PC units shipped. They do not establish leadership in revenue, profit or installed computers.
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