| PDA market swells, Windows CE holds lead |
Aug. 02, 2005
Worldwide PDA shipments grew 32 percent in the second quarter of 2005 over the same period a year ago, to 3.6 million units, according to a new report from Gartner. Additionally, Microsoft's Windows CE retained its spot as the leading PDA OS, accounting for 46 percent of worldwide shipments.
Research in Motion (RIM) took the top vendor spot with 23.2 percent of the market, an increase of 64.7 percent over Q2 of 2004. That was sufficient to achieve second place in operating system shipments, with Palm OS coming in third at 18.8 percent, a drop of nearly 41 percent from last year, according to Gartner. Linux accounted for a scant 0.8 percent.
| Preliminary Worldwide PDA Vendor Shipment Estimates by Operating System, 2Q05 | | Company | 2Q05 Shipments | 2Q05 Market Share (%) | 2Q04 Shipments | 2Q04 Market Share (%) | 2Q05-2Q04 Growth (%) | | Windows CE | 1,653,638 | 45.7 | 1,006,923 | 36.6 | 64.2 | | Research In Motion | 840,000 | 23.2 | 510,000 | 18.6 | 64.7 | | Palm OS | 678,570 | 18.8 | 1,147,667 | 41.8 | -40.9 | | Symbian | 275,000 | 7.6 | -- | 0.0 | N/A | | Linux | 28,000 | 0.8 | 27,500 | 1.0 | 1.8 | | Others | 140,000 | 3.9 | 56,710 | 2.1 | 147.6 |
| Total | 3,615,608 | 100.0 | 2,748,800 | 100.0 | 31.5 | | Note: Totals do not include smartphones, such as the Treo 650 and BlackBerry 7100, but include wireless PDAs, such as the iPAQ 6315 and Nokia 9300. |
(Source: Gartner)
Gartner defines PDAs as "data-centric handheld computer[s] weighing less than one pound that [are] primarily designed for use with both hands." The devices use "open market" OSes and can be equipped by the users with third-party applications. Additionally, PDAs "offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC," in Gartner's view. Although the PDAs included in Gartner's data may offer voice capabilities, they are "data-first, voice-second devices."
Consequently, Pocket PC Phones based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system are included within Gartner's data, and are partially responsible for the growth in the PDA market from Q2 of 2004 to Q2 of 2005, as well as for Microsoft's strong showing. In other studies, the trend toward adding GPS capabilities to PDAs has been identified as a key market driver.
"The steady growth in the PDA market can be attributed to a combination of factors," said Todd Kort, principal analyst in Gartner's Computing Platforms Worldwide group. "Wireless PDAs are increasingly seen as an adjunct or alternative to notebook computers, while favorable exchange rates have enabled more Europeans to purchase PDAs at an attractive price. These factors have aided in the recovery of the slumping PDA market of 2002-2004."
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