| SIC Codes: | 3571 |
| NAICS Codes: | 334111 |
US shipments of personal computers (PCs) account for roughly 20 percent of the worldwide market, according to Gartner Group. Hewlett-Packard (HP), Dell, Apple, and the US-based subsidiaries of Acer and Toshiba are the largest US PC vendors. Though personal computer companies in the US are commonly referred to as manufacturers, most PC manufacturing is done offshore.
Demand in the PC market is driven by technological advances, disposable income in the consumer market, and corporate spending cycles. The profitability of individual companies depends on supply chain efficiency and ancillary products and services. Large companies have advantages in leveraging extensive marketing budgets and sales channels, securing component discounts, and manufacturing efficiencies. Small companies can compete by offering unique products or localized service and support.
The majority of PCs fall into one of two basic design categories: desktops and laptops (also known as notebooks). Desktops have traditionally been the dominant platform for home and business use. Spurred by the proliferation of wireless networking, along with narrowing price and performance gaps, sales of laptops began to overtake desktop sales in the mid-2000s. Both desktop and laptop PCs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may be customized for specific applications.