Report: Apple leads the mobile computer market

(AP) -- Apple is selling more portable computers than any other manufacturer.

Research group DisplaySearch says that including the iPad, Apple Inc. sold 17.2 percent of mobile computers worldwide in the October-December quarter. That's even more than Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's top PC maker.

Without the iPad, Apple is the world's eighth-ranking PC manufacturer.

HP ranks second when it comes to mobile computers, a category that includes laptops, tablet computers and netbooks. Acer Inc., Dell Inc. and Toshiba Corp round out the top five.

DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim says Apple's lead doesn't mean people are buying iPads instead of larger laptops and desktops. Rather, it's selling best in countries where most people already own computers.

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