HARD TIMES IN HIGH TECH

Other examples of the downturn in the computer industry this year:

* ASHTON-TATE: Company said this week that it will lay off 15% of its work force following several consecutive quarterly losses largely attributed to software bugs.

* WANG LABORATORIES: President Frederick A. Wang resigned last week after earlier disclosure of a fourth-quarter loss of $375 million and suspension of dividends. The company later reported that it will suspend payments on $208.6 million of institutional debts. It announced layoffs and pay cuts earlier this year.

* SUN MICROSYSTEMS: Company announced last month that it expects to report a fourth-quarter loss of as much as $26 million.

* CRAY RESEARCH: Struggling with high development costs, the company announced in May that it planned to restructure into two companies. Analysts said Cray lacked the financial strength to support two rival supercomputer projects. The company had earlier reported sharply lower earnings and forecast another quarter of weak results.

* PLUS: Microsoft blamed lower quarterly earnings on delays in shipping two new programs and mounting inventories . . . Digital Equipment decided to delay salary increases after fiscal 1989 earnings fell 17.8% . . . Hewlett-Packard announced flat second-quarter earnings and predicted lower-than-expected results for the third.