BUSINESS BRIEFING / COMPUTERS

Worldwide personal computer shipments fell 3% in the second quarter.

The figures from research group IDC are better than the 6% drop expected but still point to 2009 being the industry’s first full year in decline since 2001.

Businesses still aren’t making big technology purchases, but consumers flocked to inexpensive laptops, IDC said. Hewlett-Packard Co. remained the largest PC maker, followed by Dell Inc. and Acer Inc.