Heads up Apple, Android to make big gains in 2014, IDC predicts

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Google's Android ecosystem will be breathing down Apple's neck in 2014, according to IDC, which offered predictions for 2014.

Google Play/Android downloads and revenues "are making dramatic gains and the app ecosystem value gap will be significantly narrowed" with Apple in 2014, according to IDC. That was one of the predictions published Tuesday, among a bevy of predictions for 2014.

Here's what IDC said:

The mobile device onslaught will continue in 2014 with sales of tablets growing by 18% and smartphones by 12%. The Android community, led by Samsung, will maintain its volume advantage over Apple, while Apple will hold onto its value edge with higher average selling prices and an established ecosystem of apps.

But Google Play (Android) app downloads and revenues are making dramatic gains and the "app ecosystem value gap" will be significantly narrowed in 2014. And the clock will be ticking louder for Microsoft, which needs to quickly double mobile developer interest in Windows.

Bolstering all of this mobile activity will be a surge in spending on the cloud.

Cloud spending will surge by 25 percent in 2014, reaching over $100 billion, IDC said. "A pitched battle will be joined for the developers that can create the cloud-based applications and solutions that will fuel the market's growth," according to the researcher.

And the bad news? The PC market ""will remain under stress," with worldwide revenues down 6 percent year over year.