According to preliminary results by Gartner, global PC shipments went below 80m units for the first time since the second quarter of 2009. All regions showed a decrease in shipments, with the EMEA region experiencing the steepest decline.

"Consumers are migrating content consumption from PCs to other connected devices, such as tablets and smartphones. Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

HP and Lenovo were found to be in a virtual tie for the top position in the first quarter of 2013. HP had a "very challenging" quarter, as it recorded its worst shipment decline since the acquisition of Compaq in 2003. HP's consumer business negatively affected its overall shipment volume, but its professional business was also under attack by competitors.

Lenovo's worldwide PC shipments were flat compared with a year ago. While its shipment growth rate exceeded the overall industry average, it was Lenovo's slowest growth since the first quarter of 2009.

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