IDC said that shipments were up 9.4 per cent year on year to nearly 76 million units as companies and households are bin wheezy Windows 10 boxes as end of life looms, pushing replacements rather than waiting for something shinier.

Asia and Japan posted double-digit gains on education projects and government-backed refreshes. The US looked chillier, where tariffs and economic nerves delayed buys that IDC expects to slip into 2026.

At the vendor table, Lenovo led with 25.5 per cent share, HP sat close to 20 per cent, and the Grey Box Shifter Dell held 13.3 per cent. The Fruity Cargo Cult Apple and ASUS outran the market.

The so-called “other” crowd edged up, which is a laugh for a category many pundits wrote off as “dying” not long ago.

The real driver is practicality. Fleets bought in 2020 and 2021 are running out of puff, with batteries fading, fans whining and security coverage thinning as Microsoft nudges everyone to Windows 11.

IDC’s tracker shows a market propelled by necessity rather than miracles, with kit ageing out and fresh hardware rolling in.