The personal computer market limped along in the first quarter of this year, its footing aided a bit by businesses buying gear, according to a pair of industry trackers.

Gartner Inc. estimated that 62.2 million personal computers were shipped worldwide in the first three months of this year, marking the first time in about a decade the quarterly number has dropped below 63 million.

International Data Corporation put the figure lower in a Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker report, saying a total of 60.3 million desktop, notebook and workstation computers were shipped.

But, while Gartner said the number was down from the same quarter last year, IDC said it inched up a fraction of a percent by its calculations.

What strength there was in the PC market came from businesses purchasing new machines while consumers remained on the sidelines, evidently happy with smartphones, tablets or older computers.