PC market won't stink as much this year, says Gartner

Worldside shipments of PCs will still drop in 2014 but not as badly as they did last year. And ultramobiles will provide a bit of a boost.

The PC market will stage a small revival this year, according to Gartner.

Peering into its crystal ball, the research firm said Monday that global PC shipments will decline by only 2.9 percent in 2014. That may not sound like a huge cause for celebration. But the outlook is better than last year's drop of 9.5 percent. Gartner's PC figures include desktops, notebooks, and premium "ultramobile" devices.

The PC market has been on a downward spiral for the past few years as more consumers have opted for smartphones and tablets over traditional desktops and laptops. Many people have also been hanging onto their PCs longer rather than refreshing them every couple of years. And the lackluster appeal of Windows 8 failed to give consumers much of a reason to rush out and buy a new computer. So why will 2014 be kinder and gentler to the PC industry? Thank the business community.

"Business upgrades from Windows XP and the general business replacement cycle will lessen the downward trend, especially in Western Europe," Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal said in a statement. "This year, we anticipate nearly 60 million professional PC replacements in mature markets."

Gartner

Shipments of traditional desktops and laptops will drop from 296.1 million last year to 276.2 million this year and to 261.6 million next year. But ultramobiles will grab more customers, according to Gartner, with shipments rising from 21.5 million in 2013 to 32.2 million in 2014 and 55 million in 2015. An ultramobile, or ultrabook, is defined as a thin, compact, lightweight laptop designed to be used on the go. Apple's MacBook Air is one example.

Tablet shipments, meanwhile, will rise by 24 percent to reach 256 million units. Mobile phone shipments are projected to hit 1.9 billion units this year, up 3.1 percent from 2013. Smartphones will continue to eat up more of the market, as Gartner expects them to account for 66 percent of all global mobile phone shipments this year, rising to 88 percent by 2018.

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Microsoft, Canon shake on patent licensing agreement

The two companies will share intellectual property on a "broad range of products and services," including those for certain digital imaging and mobile consumer products.

Here's a novel idea: Instead of suing for patent infringement, why not just share the intellectual property?

This is exactly what Microsoft and Canon have decided to do. The two companies announced Wednesday that they've signed a patent cross-licensing agreement, which gives them the right to use the intellectual property on some of each other's products.

"This collaborative approach with Canon allows us to deliver inventive technologies that benefit consumers around the world," Microsoft IP Licensing general manager Nick Psyhogeos said in astatement. "Microsoft believes cooperative licensing is an effective way to accelerate innovation while reducing patent disputes."

Patent cross-licensing agreements are nothing new. In fact, a lot of tech companies over the years have made such deals with their colleagues and even their competitors. For example, earlier this year Samsung entered into three separate patent cross-licensing agreements with Google, Cisco Systems, and Ericsson.Microsoft and Canon did not disclose the terms of the deal or say exactly what types of patents they'll be sharing. But, they did say the agreement "covers a broad range of products and services" and applied to their "growing patent portfolios." The companies said that certain digital imaging and mobile consumer products have been included in the agreement.

As for Microsoft, since it launched its IP licensing program in 2003, it has entered into more than 1,100 licensing agreements with various companies.

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