Gartner and IDC recognize that computer sales are up, but they do not agree on what a computer is.

We have been hearing for some time that the traditional PC is dying, but it is not quite dead yet. Business analyst firms Gartner and IDC approach the numbers differently, but both agree that traditional PC sales have increased – in some areas, upward – in the second quarter of 2019.

While both companies recorded market growth in terms of computer sales, the actual figures differed. IDC posted 4.7% growth in sales in the second quarter, while Gartner reported only 1.5%. US regional regional sales figures differed even more, with Gartner reporting a 0.4% loss and IDC a "high single digit gain".

We discussed the difference with Jitesh Ubrani, from IDC, and it turned out that the two companies do not quite agree on what constitutes a traditional PC or not. IDC considers Chromebooks as traditional PCs, but not Microsoft Surface tablets. Gartner has Surface accounts but does not understand Chromebooks. The higher IDC numbers indicate a stronger market for Chromebooks than the Surface, which should not surprise people with kids in North American schools, where inexpensive and easy-to-lock Chromebooks are ubiquitous .

Analysts of both companies agree that a trade war between the United States and China has not yet hurt PC sales, but each turns a little differently. Gartner's Mikiko Kitigawa warns: "Most laptops and tablets are currently manufactured in China and sales of these devices in the United States could experience a significant price increase," while Jitesh Ubrani, of IDC, seems more focused on a short-term increase in sales in an attempt to exceed future rates, stating that "the fear of an increase in customs duties and a potential trade war are excellent subjects discussion but do not yet translate into a tangible increase in demand ".

We also asked Jitesh about the large difference in sales figures in the United States and Canada; the US market remained essentially stable while the Canadian market grew for 12 consecutive quarters, with growth of 11.0% in the second quarter, the highest growth rate in nine years. Jitesh has attributed much of this growth to Windows 10 upgrades, with the end of Windows 7 being on the verge of being in January 2020.

US companies and organizations face the same end-of-life date as Canadian companies, but Jitesh – who is himself a Canadian – attributed the difference to the Canadian market "moving faster" than its US counterparts. It seemed to us a polite way to say that Canadians intend to go beyond the January 2020 deadline, when many American companies and organizations will let go and catch up for months and years.