dell

Qualcomm today announced that it has expanded an agreement between a subsidiary and Sharp and taken an equity stake in the ailing electronics maker.

Sharp and Qualcomm subsidiary Pixtronix already have a display technology agreement between them, according to Qualcomm. This new deal extends that partnership. The agreement centers on displays using Sharp's IGZO technology, which is widely considered one of the best options for visual quality in the industry.

As part of the agreement, Qualcomm has dropped some cash in Sharp, earning it a minority stake in the company.

Sharp saw its sales drop 16 percent year-over-year to … Read more

Dell began selling its sleekest ultrabook today with a version of Ubuntu Linux.

The XPS 13 ultrabook comes with Ubuntu 12.04 preloaded and is the fruits of a project at Dell to create an Ubuntu-based developer laptop.

"Our first project officially launches today for customers in the United States...We loaded a super sleek Dell machine with Ubuntu to give developers the essentials they want," Dell said in a statement.

And, at $1,549, it is loaded indeed with lots of fast silicon including an Intel Core i7-3517U Ivy Bridge processor, 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz, and a 256GB solid state drive. It also sports a 1,366x768 13.3-inch display. … Read more

Ailing electronics maker Sharp might soon receive a cash infusion from a few prominent technology companies.

Dell, Intel, and Qualcomm are all in talks with Sharp to invest some cash in the company, The Wall Street Journal is reporting today, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of the discussions. Sharp has reportedly asked both Dell and Intel for a $240 million infusion in return for equity or debt. Qualcomm's investment would likely be smaller.

This isn't the first time we've heard reports of Intel and Qualcomm considering an investment in Sharp. Reuters reported earlier this month … Read more

I confess to not watching CNBC too often.

When the channel isn't presenting dour faces promising imminent immolation, it's showing over-excitable bald people telling you which stocks to buy. Well, screaming, actually. There is enough screaming in my life already.

However, this morning, there might be screaming of a different sort at CNBC, because the sleuths at Business Insider have revealed what they say is brand subterfuge. Or, if you like, insider faking.

Indeed, Business Insider insists that the shiny laptops placed before presenters -- which, for all the world, look like Macs -- are mere dolled-up Dells.… Read more

Hewlett-Packard is offering decent Black Friday deals on some of its premier Windows 8 laptops. And the company has announced shipment dates for a couple of its newest touch-screen entries.

HP's Spectre and Spectre XT models are its top-of-the-line lappies. While just-announced Spectres got tiny discounts, a couple of not-so-recent entries are selling for $100 off today. … Read more

Dell is stuck in a vice with its PC business.

On one side, Dell has decided to focus on margins and stay away from the commodity PC game played by Asia's juggernauts. That business decision is entirely logical. The problem is that Dell's market share is eroding quickly and the company needs the PC business to work so it can transition its business to software and cloud infrastructure.

If Dell's PC business wasn't collapsing its plan would work well. However, the PC business isn't cooperating.

Among the problems:

After Dell reported lackluster earnings today, executives made a case for the company's Windows 8 tablets at businesses.

Dell's earnings fell sharply today, with net income in the quarter ended November 2 sinking 47 percent to $475 million compared with the $893 million reported in the same period last year. Revenue was off 11 percent.

So, what is Dell doing about it? Well, it's trying to transform itself into a supplier of IT services.

But before it can do that, it's still trying to sell lots of PCs -- and now Windows 8 tablets.

Those tablets … Read more

This is not a review.

I have reviewed the Dell XPS One 27. The review posted a few hours before Apple announced its new iMacs. I accounted for a potential new iMac while I evaluated the Dell, but that review does not have a direct comparison between the two computers.

I also gave the Dell XPS One 27 an Editors' Choice Award. It makes every other high-end Windows 8 all-in-one look underfeatured. It's the all-in-one I would buy right now if money were no object (along with the Sony Vaio Tap 20).

I have not reviewed the new 27-inch iMac. I intend to when it comes out in December. I did get some hands-on time with it at Apple's launch event. I can tell you that it's not slate-thin like Apple made it out to be during the unveiling (a bulge containing the core components protrudes from the back of the screen). It's still a great-looking computer.… Read more

Save for a few cheap no-brand knockoffs, tablets have yet to really crack the $100 mark. Sure, you can buy a Kindle Fire for $159 (and Amazon Gold Box has them for $129 for the next couple hours, while supplies last), but if you have only a double-digit tablet budget, you're kinda outta luck.

But not today. While supplies last, Newegg has the refurbished Dell Streak 7 (Wi-Fi) Android tablet for $99.99 shipped. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form of a prepaid debit card.

Make no mistake: by today's … Read more