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Gartner forecasts double digit declines of -10.6% for global 2013 PC (desktop and notebook) shipments, even as the overall "devices" market (covering PCs, tablets and mobiles) should reach shipments of 2.35 billion units with 5.9% growth.

Such a decline reflects not only shifting customer demands but also adjustments in the channel making room for H2 2013 product launches.

According to the analyst PC shipments will total 305 million units in 2013. The decline is offset somewhat to -7.3% if one counts ultramobile PCs-- bringing some good news to the thin, lightweight notebooks of the Chromebook or Ultrabook variety.

Ultramobile PC demand comes from upgrades over both regular notebooks and premium tablets (such as the iPad or Galaxy Tab 10.1) and should be even more evident come Q4 2013, once Bay Trail- and Haswell-based Windows 8.1 models hit the shelves.

HP launches the Slate 21 at the Beijing World Tour event-- a 21.5-inch All-in-One (AIO) Android 4.2.2 PC customers can use as either a desktop or an oversized tablet.

The device features an IPS touchscreen, DTS sound technology, 8GB storage, x3 USB ports and a kickstand allowing multiple standing modes. Powering all is an Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor.

HP promises the AIO will also include entertainment and productivity Android apps, together with keyboard and mouse support.

The Slate 21 should be available in the US from September 2013, so expect a European launch at the thereabouts.

Go HP Slate 21

Huawei plans to roll tablet, smartphone and entertainment centre into a single device with the MediaPad 7 Vogue-- a 7-inch tablet with "a built-in receiver for direct calling capabilities that remove the need for headphones."

That sounds rather fine, until you remember a 7-inch device might not be the most comfortable (or non-silly looking) to put against one's face...

Otherwise the tablet sounds like most other Android 4.1 tablets, with a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 16-core GPU, 1024x600 display, a battery promisng 20 hours of continuous calling and a variety of pre-loaded apps (such as Facebook, YouTube, GPS, email and word processing) inside an aluminium unibody 9.5mm thick.

Bless, they grow up so fast-- according to IHS iSuppli the DRAM market achieves "some maturity in the face of daunting challenges" as 2013 300mm-equivalent wafer production drops by -24% to 13 million when compared to the 2008 peak of 16.4m units.

The -5% Y-o-Y cut makes 2013 the 2nd straight year of deliberate downsizing, following the -8% drop-off seen in 2012.

Controlled DRAM capacity is a positive for the industry-- it brings gradual normalisation between DRAM supply and demand, allowing firm DRAM pricing when production remains slightly behind demand.

“The DRAM industry has struggled with major challenges in recent years, including chronic oversupply and slowing demand from its main market, the PC business,” IHS says. “This has led to continued weak pricing, financial losses and market revenue declines. However, the DRAM industry has entered a more mature state, enacting structural changes that will allow it to grow even in challenging market conditions.”