On January 26, 2020, Gartner, the global market‑information advisory firm, published its annual ranking of the world’s top computer manufacturers based on 2019 shipment data. The list showed that two Taiwan‑based companies, Acer Inc. and Asustek Computer Inc., retained spots in the top ten despite modest declines in their market shares.
Acer secured the fifth position worldwide, having shipped 14.76 million personal‑computer units during the year. Asustek followed closely in sixth place with 14.48 million units delivered. According to Gartner’s figures, Acer’s global market share slipped to 5.7 % from 6.1 % in 2018, while Asustek’s share fell to 5.5 % from 5.9 % over the same period.
The overall PC market, however, experienced slight expansion. Global shipments rose 0.6 % in 2019 compared with 2018, indicating that the dip in share for the Taiwanese vendors did not offset the industry’s modest growth.
Gartner senior principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa commented on the outlook, stating: “We expect this growth to continue through this year even after Windows 7 support comes to an end this month, as many businesses in emerging regions such as China, Eurasia and the emerging Asia/Pacific have not yet upgraded.” Kitagawa’s remark underscores the expectation that demand for new PCs will remain robust through 2020, driven by the need for organizations to replace aging hardware and software. The ranking also highlighted the leading vendors worldwide. Lenovo Group Ltd. claimed the top spot with 62.97 million units shipped.
Three U.S.‑based companies followed: HP Inc. placed second with 57.92 million units, Dell Inc. took third at 43.96 million units, and Apple Inc. ranked fourth with 18.35 million units. Acer and Asustek’s shipments of 14.76 million and 14.48 million units, respectively, positioned them just behind the fourth‑place finisher.
These figures illustrate the competitive nature of the global PC market, where manufacturers from different regions vie for share. Although Acer and Asustek saw their individual percentages decline, their absolute shipment volumes kept them firmly within the top tier. The impending end of Windows 7 support in January 2020 was anticipated to influence purchasing decisions, particularly in emerging economies where many businesses had not yet migrated to newer operating systems.
Kitagawa noted that this pending transition would likely sustain demand for new PCs throughout 2020, benefitting manufacturers capable of meeting the upgrade cycle. Looking ahead, the analyst’s commentary suggests that the PC market’s growth trajectory will persist, propelled by hardware and software refreshes in regions still reliant on legacy systems.
Acer and Asustek, with their established rankings and shipment volumes, are positioned to capture a portion of this ongoing demand. In summary, Gartner’s 2019 data confirm that despite slight share reductions, Acer Inc. and Asustek Computer Inc. remain major participants in the worldwide PC arena. Their continued presence among the top vendors, coupled with anticipated upgrade‑driven demand, points to a stable outlook for both companies as the industry navigates the post‑Windows 7 landscape.
