Hewlett-Packard pushed Dell Computer Corporation off the top of the hill today with its announcement that it is once again the world's largest computer manufacturer. As part of its claim to fame, HP says it shipped some 120,000 more computers than did rival Dell in Q4 of 2002. However, in the U.S. Dell retained its heavyweight belt in Q4, claiming a 24% growth in shipments, compared to HP's decline of U.S. shipments by 6.1%.

These two competitors have structured their pricing in both the corporate and consumer markets to be within a few dollars of each other. Competition is fierce, and that usually spells good prices and great deals for consumers. Other manufacturers received mixed report cards when it came to growth.