dell

Four recommendable Windows 8 all-in-ones under $1,300

If you are considering an all-in-one desktop purchase, you may have noticed higher prices for Windows 8 PCs than Windows 7 systems with comparable hardware from a year ago. Where a reasonably fast 23-inch all-in-one used to cost about $1,000, you can expect to pay $100 to $200 more for the Windows 8 equivalent today

The good news is that PC vendors seem to have finally internalized the calls for better-looking Windows PCs and more-innovative features. Those things alone don't account for the higher prices we're seeing at retail, but they do help lessen the impact.… Read more

Dell beats Wall Street estimates

Dell's fourth-quarter results were carried by enterprise gear such as servers and networking, but the consumer business tanked.

The company, which recently announced plans to go private in a leveraged buyout, reported earnings of $530 million, or 30 cents a share, on revenue of $14.31 billion, down 11 percent from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings in the fourth quarter were 40 cents a share.

Wall Street was expecting fourth-quarter earnings of 39 cents a share on revenue of $14.12 billion.

For fiscal 2013, Dell reported earnings of $2.37 billion, or $1.35 a share, on revenue … Read more

Apple grabs huge slice of 2012 consumer technology sales

Apple enjoyed a healthy gain in consumer technology sales last year amid a down market.

The iPhone maker took home 19.9 percent of all consumer technology sales in the U.S., up from 17.3 percent in 2011, according to stats released today by NPD Group.

Based on sales, Apple proved to be the top consumer brand for the year, outshining Samsung, HP, Sony, and Dell. Beyond Apple, only Samsung's cut of revenues rose among the five, reaching 9.3 percent from 7 percent the prior year.

Together, Apple and Samsung scooped up $6.5 billion in higher … Read more

Dell's thin, high-res XPS 13 laptop does Linux

Ubuntu just went 1080p on Dell's sleekest laptop.

The 2.99-pound XPS 13 Developer Edition -- started as a project to create an open source developer laptop -- is now available on Dell's site for $1,549.

Those specifications, with the critical exception of the Ubuntu Linux, are identical to the 1080p XPS 13 for Windows 8. … Read more

Dell's U2413 monitor is a good thing in a small package

Less than a year after it released the U2412M, Dell's added a new 24-inch monitor to its lineup. The U2413 is engineered for color-critical work and is currently available at $599.

The monitor has a 12-bit internal processor and is calibrated to support 99 percent of the Adobe RGB color space and 100 percent of sRGB. Ports on the monitor include USB 3.0, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, DVI, and HDMI.

The model's high-performing predecessors set high expectations for the U2413's release. The U2412M was a highly rated monitor that performed well, but the U2413's 12-bit internal … Read more

Dell's 30-inch U3014 monitor offers high performance at a high price

It's been a few years since the UltraSharp's last iteration, but Dell's back with a new 30-inch monitor, the UltraSharp U3014. According to Dell, the high-performance display will offer detailed images and color accuracy up to industry standards with its 16:10 aspect ratio and 2,560x1,600-pixel resolution.

Details about other specifications are sparse, but its design features an eco-friendly approach that meets various environmental standards, and it provides ergonomic flexible viewing options.

Dell also announced a single monitor arm and dual monitor stand for select models. The arm and stand provide options for height adjustability, … Read more

The UltraSharp U2913WM monitor is Dell's first ultra-wide monitor

Dell has introduced its first ultra-wide monitor with the 29-inch UltraSharp U2913WM. The panoramic display has a 21:9 aspect ratio with a 2,560x1,080-pixel resolution and is currently available for $699.

With its large display and extensive connectivity, the U2913WM is geared toward high productivity. The monitor has DVI, HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, and 4x USB 3.0 downstream ports. The monitor also has highly adjustable tilt and swivel positioning and a 5.1-inch height adjustability range.

LG and Asus each announced ultra-wide monitors at CES 2013 with comparable specifications to the U2913WM. The Asus MX299Q and … Read more

Could Dell boost its takeout bid by 10 percent to $15 a share?

Dell's plans to go private haven't pleased all of its shareholders, but investment banking firm Jefferies believes the PC maker could win them over with a sweetened bid.

The firm says it's likely that Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell and partner Silver Lake, a private equity firm, will raise Dell's takeout bid by nearly 10 percent to $15 a share to "satisfy agitated shareholders."

"Our conversations with investors lead us to believe that most want a raised bid, but that they are also cognizant of the lack of competing bidders and of … Read more

Dell: Going private is the 'best' move for the company

Despite growing concern from some major shareholders, Dell says its decision to go private is the best one.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing today, Dell reports that it "considered an array of strategic alternatives." The company also hired a "prominent management consultant to help it assess the Company's strategic position." Those alternatives, along with the consultant's assessment, led Dell down the path of going private.

"Based on that work, the Board concluded that the proposed all-cash transaction is in the best interests of stockholders," Dell wrote in its filing. "… Read more