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For the first time since HP merged with Compaq, the company has forfeited its number one position in EMEA to Acer.

The July-September period was marked by strong growth in the lower-cost mini-notebook category, which Acer has been focussing on, according to Gartner analyst Mika Kitagawa. This helped bolster the overall PC market in he face of slumping consumer spending.

Acer's

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market share gains in the quarter were driven by surging sales of its mini-notebooks, a segment in which HP and Dell don't have a strong presence, she says.

Mini-notebooks, also known as netbooks, refer to PCs with screen sizes of five to 10 inches. They usually cost less than $500 (£285). Kitagawa estimates that less than 5% of overall PC shipments are mini-notebooks, but believes the market seems to be growing.

Overall, worldwide PC shipments rose 15 percent from last year to 80.6 million units. At the same time, U.S. shipments rose 4.6% to 17.4 million units.

HP shipped 14.8 million units in the quarter, for a market share of 18.4%, barely changed from a year ago. Dell was in second place with a share of 13.6%, down 0.5% from last year, while Acer's piece of the market jumped to 12.5% from 9.7%.

Kitagawa also notes that Acer saw 16% US shipment growth from the second quarter, while Dell and HP struggled.