Research analyst Gartner is predicting that makers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment can count on the current order slowdown to extend well into next year.

Gartner slashed its 2008 global spending outlook for chip equipment down by 4.3 percent to euro 30.79 billion. It had expected euro32.19 billion earlier in the year. The Gartner report said that flash makers and third-party chip contractors will order more equipment, but RAM will fall.

Computer memory prices have fallen this year because of an inventory glut.

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