The dismal numbers put into sharper focus what we've been hearing from the likes of chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which blamed PCs in last week's revenue warning. PC shipments drop sharply This week, Gartner published preliminary quarterly data on worldwide personal commuter shipments, estimating a 19.5% decline compared to the third quarter of 2021. Another group that also tracks the PC business, IDC, reported an annual decline in global shipments of 15% in the third quarter. In statements to CNBC, neither IDC nor Gartner would speak to the other's data or why the Apple numbers were so different. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

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