Lenovo Leapfrogs Dell to be #2 Worldwide PC Maker Behind HP

Say what you will about HP, but they're good at keeping their spot at the top of the worldwide PC manufacturer rankings. Until recently, Dell had been pretty good at keeping the number two spot - but thanks to Lenovo, that's changed. According to figures from both IDC and Gartner, Lenovo now holds the number 2 spot on the list, just behind HP, and just ahead of Dell.

Outpacing industry growth rates of somewhere between three and four percent (depending on who you ask), Lenovo managed to pull out a whopping 36% increase - which is what allowed them to push themselves into second place. Dell, meanwhile, actually shrank over the same quarter last year. As we reported from Dell's event in Austin last week, CEO Michael Dell took the opportunity to defend his company and lambast Lenovo. Lenovo might have pushed themselves into a number two position, he concedes, but only in raw marketshare, and not in terms of profits.

Lenovo, meanwhile, is understandably giddy at the news. Moreover, they've got their sites set at the top, with Lenovo Chief Yang Yuanqing aiming to take the company past HP to become the world's number 1 PC manufacturer. They have a reasonable chance of making it happen, what with HP's instability and public uncertainty (it will be curious to see whether they can maintain their hold on that top spot in the coming year). 

Jumping up in the rankings can be something of a cautionary tale, however, which is seen by looking at where Acer stands. A precipitous drop of more than 20% over the same quarter last year is likely due thanks to growing disinterest in netbooks, which have been replaced - at least in customers' hearts, if not entirely their backpacks - by tablets such as Apple's iPad.