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Windows 8 sales 'well below' projections, report claims

Windows 8 may not be selling nearly as well as Microsoft projected, according to a report.

"Sales of Windows 8 PCs are well below Microsoft's internal projections and have been described inside the company as disappointing," Paul Thurrott wrote on his Supersite For Windows today, citing a source inside Microsoft.

The culprit? "Lackluster PC maker designs and availability," according to Thurrott.

But he lists plenty of other reasons too, including Windows 8 itself as "confusing" because of its mix of touch and a standard Windows 7 desktop.

And he cites the simultaneous release … Read more

Apple hardware chief sells off $10.7M in stock

Recently-appointed Apple hardware chief Dan Riccio sold off nearly $11 million in company stock this week.

The sales, which took place yesterday and today and were detailed in a regulatory filing, included 19,726 shares, with another 1,000 that are given away as a charitable donation. All told, the value of the shares that were sold tallied up to a little more than $10.73 million.

To put things in perspective, Riccio along Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Mac Software Engineering, were given 75,000 shares of company stock as part of promotions in September, worth … Read more

Black Friday 2012 laptops, desktops, and tablets

As Black Friday expands into a week-long marathon of deals (followed by the now-requisite Cyber Monday), a new laptop, desktop, or tablet may be high up on your shopping list. And with Windows 8 launching dozens of new computer models, that's just one more reason to upgrade. Perusing the major retailers for PC deals, I found a few noteworthy ones, as well as a few you should be warned away from.

There are decent discounts on some mainstream full-power laptops, as well as on newer touch-screen Windows 8 systems. Tablet deals were less common, largely restricted to no-name brands. … Read more

Apple stores still top earners per square foot, study says

Apple's retail stores have once again nabbed the top spot when it comes to sales per square foot.

According to research firm RetailSails, compared with more than 200 chains in 15 different retail genres, Apple brought in the most money per square foot at its stores during the year.

According to the rankings (seen right), Apple made $6,050 per square foot during 2012, a little more than twice that of the runner-up, jewelry maker Tiffany & Co., which brought in $3,017 per square foot. By comparison, RetailSails pegged Apple for $5,626 per square foot in its … Read more

Ballmer says Microsoft Surface sales off to 'modest' start

Sales of Microsoft's new tablet are modest despite the fact that one model was sold out online for more than a week.

Speaking to French daily Le Parisien, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said sales "are starting modestly."

Ballmer claimed that sales were constrained by the limits of the sales channel, according to the report. The Surface tablet is only available at the Microsoft Store online and, in the U.S., at a few dozen brick-and-mortar stores.

But demand for the tablet through Microsoft's sales channels was apparently high enough to trigger a shortage of the $499 … Read more

Facebook pushes you to vote

Monday's CNET Update has the power:

The CNET New York office has reopened, and it's great to be back to give you today's tech news roundup:

- Apple sold 3 million iPads in the three days since new models went on sale. That number includes the sales of two models: the iPad Mini fourth-generation iPad. But the bulk of the sales are estimated to be for the smaller tablet.

- Tuesday is election day in the U.S., so prepare to be bombarded with voting reminders and peer pressure on social media. Facebook is making a big push … Read more

iPad Mini launches with mini lines

While CNET's New York office waits for power to come back after the storm, we're bringing you the Update show from our San Francisco office. Friday's top tech stories include:

- iPad Mini launch day: Lines were smaller compared to a typical iPhone or iPad launch, but there were still some crowds. New York saw a long lines at the 5th Avenue store, which was sold out of iPad Minis two hours after it opened. One analyst estimates Apple might sell as many as 1.5 million iPad Minis over the weekend.

- Apple released its first … Read more

Apple's iPad Mini goes on sale overseas

Right on schedule, Apple's latest pair of tablets are on store shelves. Around the world, that is.

Retail sales of the iPad Mini and fourth-generation iPad began in New Zealand -- where it's already well into Friday -- and are now rolling into other countries.

The launch is Apple's biggest yet for an iPad at 34 countries, up from the 10 that got the company's third-generation model in mid-March.

CNET Australia, which captured some of the early sales action, described the number of shoppers as "far fewer" than for the iPhone 5, with any … Read more

Will Supreme Court protect your right to resell your own stuff?

The U.S. Supreme Court spent this morning wrestling with an obscure section of copyright law that could curb listings of used DVDs, CDs, books, and even GPS devices through marketplaces including eBay and Amazon.com.

Large copyright holders -- including software companies, the Motion Picture Association of America, and the Recording Industry Association of America -- have urged the court to limit Americans' right to resell legally purchased products manufactured outside the United States.

Many of the justices seemed skeptical. Justice Stephen Breyer suggested that the copyright holders' reading of the law would invoke a parade of "horribles,&… Read more

Apple earnings: $36B revenue, $8.2B profit, 26.9M iPhones, 14M iPads

Apple's knack for surprises held up in its quarterly earnings today.

The company narrowly beat expectations on revenue, but missed on profits.

Buoyed by sales of the iPhone and iPad, the company reported revenue of $36 billion and profits of $8.2 billion, or $8.67 per share, for the quarter ended September 29.

Wall Street expected Apple to report $35.80 billion in sales, with earnings per share of $8.75. Apple's own forecast for the quarter was $34 billion, with earnings per share of $7.65.

"We're very proud to end a fantastic fiscal … Read more