1.   Analysts said the lower memory prices could start to spur increasing demand for personal computers in the second half of this year.

2.   And with the earthquake panic past, wholesale memory prices are already slipping.

3.   Both companies have cited falling memory prices and overproduction for their production halts.

4.   Additionally, the decline in memory prices had been expected, although the drop came more quickly than the company foresaw.

5.   But tempering these plummeting prices will be the fact that memory chip prices will bottom out, and possibly go up, as demand matches and then exceeds supply.

6.   Chipmakers slipped for a second day after Nomura Financial Research Center senior analyst Hideki Wakabayashi lowered his profit forecast for semiconductor makers, citing falling memory prices.

7.   DRAM memory chip prices have fallen by half in recent months, threatening profits at Japanese chipmakers.

8.   Fortunately, memory chip prices are very attractive right now.

9.   He said the issues that plagued IBM in the first half -- a strong currency, lower memory prices and product transitions -- will ebb in the months ahead.

10.   He said the issues that plagued IBM in the first half -- currency, lower memory prices and product transitions -- will ebb going forward.