For all the talk of a down economy, worldwide PC microprocessor shipments aren’t feeling the pinch just yet. In fact, shipments in the third quarter of 2008 reached record levels once again, according to new data from market-research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).
Consider the statistics: Worldwide PC processor unit shipments grew 14 percent quarter over quarter and 15.8 percent year over year. Market revenue grew 7.6 percent quarter over quarter and 4.1 percent year over year to $8.3 billion.
According to IDC, Intel’s new Atom processor for ultra-low-cost mobile PCs — which Intel calls netbooks — made a notable difference in the overall market performance. When researchers removed Atom from the equation, unit shipments grew 8.3 percent quarter over quarter and 8.7 percent year over year.
“Not considering the effects of Atom, the overall market still grew at a decent pace in the third quarter,” said Shane Rau of IDC. “Intel’s and AMD’s shipments grew at a rate only slightly slower than typical for a third quarter, and seasonal demand appeared reasonable up until September. By segment, while the mobile-processor segment grew aggressively, the server segment was soft.”
Vendors by the Numbers
Thanks in part to Atom, Intel earned 80.8 percent market share in the third quarter, a gain of 1.1 percent. AMD finished with 18.5 percent, a loss of 1.2 percent, and VIA Technologies earned 0.6 percent.
By form factor, in the mobile-PC processor segment, Intel reigns king again. Intel grabbed an 87.4 percent share, a gain of 0.8 percent. AMD finished with 11.5 percent, a loss of 1.1 percent, and VIA earned 1.2 percent, a gain of 0.3 percent.
Finally, in the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with a market-dominating 85.6 percent share, a loss of 0.6 percent. AMD earned 14.4 percent, a gain of 0.6 percent. In the desktop PC…