DELL

While the final numbers have yet to be revealed, PC sales were expected to decline last year. This would have been the first global decline since 2001. At the time, almost all of the major notebook and desktop manufacturers were struggling to maintain the sales levels that they had experienced in...

Netbooks were supposed to be the future of portable computing. As smaller, thinner and lighter versions of traditional laptop computers, netbooks were designed to be an energy-friendly, cost-effective alternative to expensive PCs. Consumers were receptive to the idea but apprehensive of the price...

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is expected to resume development of its unconfirmed Windows RT tablet. The device, which is thought to contain a 10-inch display, would be the next major device to use the Windows RT platform after Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) own tablet, Surface. HTC was expected to enter the...

After enduring an overall decline of 16.4 percent during the third quarter, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) increased notebook shipments slightly in November. According to DigiTimes, the top five notebook brands experienced a combined one month drop of four percent. Asus, which recently released a...

By selling 40 million Windows 8 licenses, Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) new operating system is already a hit. But while some consumers have been eager to upgrade their existing machines, few are trading up to new devices. According to industry researcher NPD, the consumer Windows PC and tablet...

Sony (NYSE: SNE), Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and Acer appear to have had a successful Black Friday. The three companies sold a large number of Windows 8 PCs last week as consumers endured massive crowds and long lines on the biggest shopping day of the year. In conducting a retail survey, Global...

Touch screens are all the rage now that smartphones, laptops and desktop computers are abandoning traditional interactive features (such as buttons) for a more modern approach. MacBook touch pad users have already seen a glimpse of this evolution. Regardless, it will be a long time before every...

This weekend in Barron's online: the world's two biggest smartphone makers spar in court, and the prospects for Lear, Leucadia, Sparton and Wyndham Worldwide. Cover Story "Grudge Match" by Kopin Tan. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Samsung Electronics, the world's two biggest smartphone makers,...

Most televisions and all MacBooks still lack a touch screen. When will this change? When will all displays be converted to touch screens? It could take some time. While the PC industry has embraced Windows 8 with a wide variety of touch screen devices (including laptops and desktops), some...

This past weekend in Barron's online: who benefits as the PC era wanes, the prospects for Annie's, Texas Industries and National Oilwell Varco, as well as four rising dividend plays. Cover Story "Bye-Bye PCs" by Tiernan Ray. As the personal computer era wanes, this week's cover story says, Dell...

After 11 years of growth, sales of PCs -- including notebooks, netbooks and desktops -- are expected to decline. This revelation comes from three different researchers. In a report by IHS (NYSE: IHS) iSuppli, the researcher showed that worldwide PC shipments will contract this year by 1.2 percent...

Last week, big-box retailers Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Home Depot (NYSE: HD) said their earnings and sales rose in the most recent quarter, and they both boosted their full-year earnings per share (EPS) guidance. More earnings reports are due from retailers this week, highlighted by second-quarter...

Retail earnings season got off to a start last week when drug store chain CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and department store operators Kohl's (NYSE: KSS), Macy's (NYSE: M) and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) bested second-quarter earnings estimates, while JCPenney (NYSE: JCP) reported a net loss. Many more...

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) hopes to turn its first tablet, Surface, into a successful competitor to Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad. However, Windows PC and tablet manufacturer Acer fears that the Surface could also have a detrimental effect on their prized industry. "On one hand Microsoft is our...