personal computers

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Microsoft Posts First Yearly Sales Decline

(Newser) - Microsoft Corp. said today its profit in the last quarter plunged 29% because of weak computer sales, ending a fiscal year in which the software maker's revenue fell for the first time since the company went public in 1986. The results reflect how Microsoft's fortunes are tied to the PC...

As Netbooks Fade, Successors Await

Sales slowdown hides fact that low-cost laptops are taking over

(Newser) - You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met...

Buying a Computer? Wait for New OS
 Buying a Computer? 
 Wait for New OS 
Tech Review

Buying a Computer? Wait for New OS

(Newser) - It’s a bad time to buy a computer, writes Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. And that makes it an equally awkward time for his annual computer buying guide. Both Microsoft and Apple will release new operating systems in the fall, and it’ll be easier to buy...

Boom in Netbook Sales Powers New Features

At CES, the line blurs between netbooks and laptops

(Newser) - An unexpected 10 million netbooks—scaled down, lower-priced laptops—were  sold in 2008, sending tech companies racing into the market, the Wall Street Journal reports. At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show, market segments like cell phones and PCs seem to be converging faster than ever as they try to...

Downturn Derails Dell's Turnaround

Cost-cutting kills off plans for flashy new product lines

(Newser) - Shifting consumer demand and the sagging economy spell trouble for Dell's turnaround strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Founder Michael Dell had been making progress since returning to the company last year with a two-pronged rescue plan, but weak sales mean his goals of cutting costs at the low end...

10 Computers That Changed Everything

Before the iMac, there were mega machines

(Newser) - Convenience is a given when it comes to today's PCs, but the machine you're reading this on has come a long way. Major transformations date as far back as the early 19th century. Live Science gives the back-story on 10 revolutionary computers.
  1. The Difference Engine, 1822: Designed by Charles Babbage
...

Reflective Gates Waxes Nostalgic
Reflective Gates
Waxes Nostalgic

Reflective Gates Waxes Nostalgic

On eve of retirement, he narrates slideshow for Fortune on history of Microsoft

(Newser) - Pictures of Bill Gates the child in a football uniform and alongside Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in their high school computer room are among 15 shots in an exclusive Fortune photo essay. Gates himself narrates the slideshow chronicling Microsoft’s roots, through its founding and 1986 IPO. Other shots show...

Microsoft to Offer Windows Touch Screen

iPhone-like screen, due by 2010, signals need to replace Vista

(Newser) - Microsoft, still smarting over consumer discontent with its Windows Vista operating system, yesterday offered a peek at the touch-screen operating system it believes will revolutionize personal computing, the Wall Street Journal reports. The OS isn’t expected to hit shelves for 20 months, but already is creating buzz with its...

Companies Bypass Microsoft Vista
Companies Bypass
Microsoft Vista

Companies Bypass Microsoft Vista

Some wait for Windows 7 instead

(Newser) - Companies like General Motors and Alaska Airlines are considering bypassing Microsoft’s latest operating system. Facing problems getting Vista to work on its computers, GM may simply wait for Windows 7, due in 2010 or 2011. Consumer hesitation on Vista finally hurt Microsoft in the last quarter, when profits slipped...

Dell Gets Behind Alienware for Gaming PC Push

Computer giant tries to recapture geek hearts with languishing brand

(Newser) - Dell is dumping its popular XPS line of gaming PCs so it can focus exclusively on the once-hot Alienware brand it acquired in 2006, the Wall Street Journal reports. The PC giant is in the midst of a full turnaround push, having fallen behind arch-rival HP, so it’s hoping...

It's Not Too Late for Old School Technology
It's Not Too Late
for Old School Technology
opinion

It's Not Too Late for Old School Technology

If inventions can evolve, they can survive, says New York Times

(Newser) - Older technologies frequently face predictions of their demise as they are replaced with cutting-edge innovations, but so-called progress is rarely the sea change it’s chalked up to be, writes Steve Lohr in the New York Times. If old tech can adapt, it can often stay alive. Case in point:...

PC Makers Aim Overseas
PC Makers Aim Overseas

PC Makers Aim Overseas

US remains biggest market as demand in other skyrockets

(Newser) - PC makers are increasingly setting their sights on markets outside the US, which are making up an ever-larger share of the worldwide computer market, USA Today reports. PC sales are growing in the US, still the world’s largest market, but are rising much faster elsewhere. Last year, the US...

H-P Posts Big Numbers Despite Slowing Market

PC and overseas sales boost earnings

(Newser) - Hewlett-Packard thumbed its nose at concerns over falling tech spending today, posting a 38% rise in earnings and 15% revenue jump in its first quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports. The health of the tech giant, boosted by PC and overseas sales, is good news for an industry whose leaders,...

Hate Your Computer? Don't Bully Tech Support

Your frustration, the tech guy's misery

(Newser) - We've all done it: The computer misbehaves and we vent our frustration on tech support. But the ugliest of these confrontations can have real consequences, ABC reports. What the user sees as just blowing off steam, the tech support pro might experience (and report to superiors) as bullying. Aggravating the...

Lenovo Debuts Hip Laptop Line
Lenovo Debuts Hip Laptop Line

Lenovo Debuts Hip Laptop Line

New models will emphasize design, extra features

(Newser) - Longtime business stalwart Lenovo will unleash a stylish new line of laptops on a crowded consumer field, the Wall Street Journal reports. Lenovo’s IdeaPad line will offer sporty red aluminum-alloy cases and higher-performance gaming specs, as well as novel features such as face-recognition software that lets users log in...

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