Global sales of personal computers grew 15 per cent in 1998 due to strong demand in the United States and Europe, market research group Dataquest said yesterday.

"Affordability and the growing relevance of Internet content is sustaining double-digit PC growth in the United States," said Dataquest's Mr Bill Schaub.

Compaq Computers held its lead in the worldwide personal computer (PC) industry, with nearly 14 per cent market share in 1998, Dataquest said. IBM remained second, but Dell Computers finished a much closer third than in 1997, having seen 65 per cent growth in sales over the year.

West European markets helped sustain the industry's momentum, with faster rates of growth in sales than in any other region for the full year.