PC shipments in Western Europe declined by 20.5 percent during the first quarter: The only vendors to see shipments grow were Lenovo and Apple, which returned to the top five.

Hewlett-Packard has kicked off a series of upcoming PC announcements with new ProBook 400 series laptops, including a 15.6-inch model with a touchscreen.

Intel's upcoming "Bay Trail" Atom processor is aimed at the low-end market, and promises to deliver convertible PCs and notebooks with all-day battery life at budget prices.

Touch-based Windows 8 notebooks have been selling well for Taiwanese PC maker Asus, but overall Microsoft's new operating system has yet to find a major following, the company said.

Fujitsu promises that although the new business laptops in its Lifebook E Line come in screen sizes from 13.3 inches to 15.6 inches, all will use the same standard components, including the main board, drives for the modular expansion bay, and AC adapters.

Sony has started shipping two new Vaio ultrabooks with large screens starting at US$699 as the company expands its lineup of thin and light laptops.

Microsoft's Windows 8 OS failed to provide a spark to PC sales during last year's fourth quarter, with worldwide unit shipments falling by 6.4 percent compared to the same quarter in 2011, according to research by IDC..

Hewlett-Packard has priced its new Pavilion Touchsmart Sleekbook laptop at US$699, claiming it's the most affordable device in its category.