Even without counting the iPad, Apple (AAPL) gained smartly on the major personal computer vendors in Europe last quarter according to a report issued Monday by Gartner, Inc.

While the broader market for PCs fell 11.4% in the quarter, Apple’s Mac shipments grew 19.6%. Only Asus, which specializes in Microsoft (MSFT) Windows-based notebooks, grew faster.

Otherwise, writes Gartner’s Meike Escherich, “The results in the third quarter of 2011 make unpleasant reading for the PC industry, as the third quarter is traditionally a strong consumer quarter, driven by back-to-school sales.”

Sales of netbooks (which Gartner calls mini notebooks) were hit particularly hard, with shipments down more than 40%. Desktops declined 8.7%.

Hewlett-Packard (HPC) and Dell (DELL) shipments were down 7.5% and 10%, respectively. Acer, which is going through an inventory readjustment, fell 45.1%