Some 77 million PCs were shipped worldwide in the last three months of 2007, 15.5 per cent more than the previous three months and the fastest rise for five quarters.

And over the entire year, shipments grew 14.3 per cent to 269 million units. HP took the top spot with sales of more than 50.5 million, and Dell was second with 40 million, according to figures from analyst IDC.

Growth is being driven by falling prices and rising adoption of portable devices, but it is unlikely to continue for long, according to IDC director Loren Loverede.

"Despite fourth quarter strength, projections for the next couple years anticipate slower growth," she said.

"Rising concerns about economic growth are likely to reduce expectations further, although we are still likely to see double digit growth through 2008."

Third highest-selling supplier was Acer with 21.2 million, followed by Lenovo with 20.2 million.