PCs

Amazon starts revealing secret formula behind influential ‘Amazon’s Choice’ selections

by Todd Bishop on April 15, 2018April 15, 2018 at 11:35 pmComment

Amazon is disclosing new details about the previously mysterious criteria behind the “Amazon’s Choice” designation given to selected products on the giant e-commerce site. On product pages for some “Amazon’s… Read More

Podcast

Geared Up! Apple Music’s new TV deals, the war over wireless data plans, and a PC the size of an iPhone

by Clare McGrane on February 16, 2017June 10, 2017 at 8:28 pm1 Comment

Apple Music isn’t the place you would expect to find reality TV. But this week, the music streaming service announced it will be producing an original show: Planet of the… Read More

Despite a declining market, innovative computers still matter at CES thanks to Intel, Dell, HP, others

by Dan Richman on January 3, 2017January 3, 2017 at 2:13 pmComment

What’s old is new again. CES, originally known as the Consumer Electronics Show, was launched in 1967 — well before PCs — but for much of its life it was a computer-centric… Read More

PC sales even worse than expected as free Windows 10 update delays hardware upgrades

by Todd Bishop on June 9, 2016June 9, 2016 at 7:16 am 14 Comments

Are you buying new PCs less frequently than you did in the past? You’re not alone. Worldwide PC shipments are now projected to decline by 7.3 percent this year, 2 percentage… Read More

Michael Dell tells Satya Nadella what he thinks about Microsoft’s hardware strategy

by Todd Bishop on October 21, 2015October 21, 2015 at 9:51 am 23 Comments

Dell CEO Michael Dell is comfortable with Microsoft’s new role as both a partner for his company and a competitor in the PC business, he told an audience at the Dell World conference… Read More

IDC predicts PC market will keep shrinking

by Blair Hanley Frank on March 13, 2015March 13, 2015 at 9:18 am 2 Comments

Bad news, computer makers: IDC announced today that it predicts shrinkage in the PC market in both developed and developing countries this year. PC shipments are expected to shrink by… Read More

Intel profit drops 17% on softening PC sales

by John Cook on April 16, 2013April 16, 2013 at 2:14 pm1 Comment

Last week, IDC issued a sobering report which indicated that PC shipments for the first quarter fell by 13.9 percent, despite the release of Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system… Read More

Microsoft: $2B Dell loan supports key partner, helps Windows ecosystem

by Todd Bishop on February 5, 2013February 5, 2013 at 9:32 am 15 Comments

Updated below with HP comment criticizing the deal and making a pitch for Dell’s customers, as well as comments from Michael Dell. Microsoft’s involvement in the $24.4 billion deal to… Read More

Dell board reportedly set to consider buyout, including big Microsoft investment

by John Cook on February 4, 2013February 5, 2013 at 10:41 am 4 Comments

Bloomberg News is reporting that Dell’s board plans to meet this evening to discuss a potential $24 billion buyout — a move that would take the Round Rock, Texas-based PC… Read More

Report: Microsoft in talks to invest up to $3B in Dell to help take the PC maker private

by John Cook on January 22, 2013January 22, 2013 at 10:17 am 5 Comments

Now, here’s one of the more interesting stories of the day. CNBC’s David Faber is reporting that Microsoft may invest between $1 billion and $3 billion in Dell as part… Read More

Chart: This is what the ‘Post-PC Era’ looks like, so far

by Todd Bishop on October 11, 2012October 11, 2012 at 11:10 am 14 Comments

Worldwide PC shipments declined by 8 percent in the third quarter, in advance of the Windows 8 release, according to numbers released by the IDC and Gartner research firms this… Read More

Can Microsoft finally make the stylus go mainstream?

by Todd Bishop on July 23, 2012July 23, 2012 at 1:05 pm 3 Comments

The concept of the stylus as an input for computing has been around for a long time, with people dragging items around the screen with a pen and scribbling in… Read More

Apple boss Tim Cook takes a few cracks at Microsoft and Amazon, says tablets will ‘cannibalize’ PCs

by John Cook on February 14, 2012February 14, 2012 at 2:14 pm 19 Comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook leads the most powerful technology company on the planet. But even as the top dog in tech (with a market value of $475 billion, which is… Read More

CES Video: Lenovo’s Android notebook splits into a tablet

by Todd Bishop on January 8, 2012January 8, 2012 at 11:49 pmComment

During a Consumer Electronics preview event tonight, Lenovo showed an array of new products, including several running Google’s Android operating system — even a new Android-powered TV set. One device… Read More

Self-sanitizing keyboard wins FDA nod for healthcare use

by Todd Bishop on January 3, 2012January 3, 2012 at 8:18 amComment

Vioguard, a company started by two Microsoft Hardware veterans and their business partners, says it has received U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval for use of its self-sanitizing computer keyboard… Read More

Andy Rooney targets Bill Gates in 2nd best rant in PC history

by Todd Bishop on October 1, 2011November 9, 2014 at 8:19 am 20 Comments

As much as Andy Rooney might have turned himself into a caricature over the years, he is an iconic crank, one of the best there ever was. His retirement from 60… Read More

Apple, Microsoft and the divergence of the personal computer market

by Todd Bishop on July 19, 2011October 1, 2011 at 8:32 am 9 Comments

Apple is set to report earnings Tuesday afternoon, amid expectations of a blowout quarter. While much of the focus will be on iPads and iPhones, it’s becoming increasingly interesting to… Read More

IDC cuts PC forecast as iPad, Kindle and friends take toll

by Todd Bishop on June 6, 2011October 1, 2011 at 8:32 am1 Comment

The IDC market research firm today reduced its forecast for PC shipments for 2011 to 4.2 percent, from its previous projection of 7.1 percent. IDC cited factors including an “increasingly… Read More