Dell Only Major PC Firm to Post Sales Gain

Worldwide sales of personal computers slowed for a second consecutive quarter, with Dell Computer Corp. the only major PC maker to see an increase in the just-concluded third quarter, two research firms said.

Gartner Dataquest and International Data Corp. both blamed the ongoing PC slump on a saturated market and weak economic conditions made worse by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Analysts from both firms said many people also were waiting to see what Hewlett-Packard Co.’s acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp. will mean for the industry.

Figures released in July showed that the worldwide PC industry shrank in the second quarter of 2001 for the first time.

U.S. sales account for about 35% of the PC market. Dell has a wide lead domestically, with as much as 26.4% share, followed by Compaq, HP, Gateway Inc. and IBM.