WRAL Tech Wire

HP's slump deepens in 2Q as earnings fall 32 percent

Hewlett-Packard's slump is deepening as the world's largest personal computer maker scrambles to meet the growing demand for more versatile and less expensive mobile devices.

 Stock in Microsoft, others linked to PCs drop as computer sales plunge

If fewer people are interested in buying a new personal computer, then fewer investors want to own stakes in companies whose fortunes are tied to the sales of laptop and desktop machines.

 PC sales plunge; IDC says consumers 'shun Windows 8'

The last time worldwide PC shipments experienced a double- digit percentage decline was in the third quarter of 2001, when the market was roiled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the impact of a decline in technology stocks

Screen shot of new Windows 8 start screen

 HP Chairman Lane to resign; two others also departing

Ray Lane is resigning from Hewlett-Packard's board, reflecting investor sentiment about the company's dissatisfaction with the company's performance.

 Lenovo, PC makers must reboot as mobile device sales surge

Analysis: In response to the surge in mobile devices, especially smartphones and tablets, which recorded unit shipment increases of 37.6 percent and 39.3 percent, respectively, PC makers will aggressively fill their ecosystems will innovative products aimed at countering their mobile- and tablet-centric rivals.

Microsoft's Surface

 HP develops glasses-free 3-D for mobile devices

Researchers at Hewlett-Packard Co. have developed a way to put glasses-free 3-D video on mobile devices, which a researcher says, is "much like you'd see in the movie 'Star Wars' with the hologram of Princess Leia."

 Sources: Lenovo, HP unlikely to make bids for Dell

Lenovo could vault past HP to become the world's PC maker if it were to acquire Dell, which is attempting to go private but is under pressure from shareholders to seek a better offer. But that possibility appears to have weakened, sources say.

 Server sales report packs good IBM, Cisco, Red Hat news

IBM has made noise about getting out of hardware sales, but a new report on servers might change that. Big Blue rebounded to show a strong performance in 2012. Cisco and Red Hat also can find plenty of encouraging data in IDC's update.

IDC server report good news for IBM, Cisco

 HP sells webOS software; investor wants board changes

Hewlett-Packard is selling its webOS software to South Korean electronics company LG Electronics, securing a new home for a technological orphan. The company also is dealing with a call for the ouster of two board members.

 HP's $1.2B in 1Q profit tops analyst estimates

Slumping personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co.'s latest quarterly results provided a glimmer of hope after months of gloomy news as the company beat analyst earnings estimates.

 Dell goes private in move that signals decline of PC market

Michael Dell is taking back majority control of the company he started in a University of Texas dormitory almost three decades ago after struggling to equip the PC maker for a new generation of competitors in mobile and cloud computing. He's wagering that he can more effectively transform Dell into a provider of a broad range of products for corporations outside the scrutiny of public investors, even while encumbering it with about $17 billion in additional debt.

Michael Dell gambles he can turn around his company

 Startup and Play event to showcase 11 Triangle startups

Startup and Play, entrepreneurial-focused events that feature networking and presentations by new or emerging companies, will put on its next event Wednesday in Raleigh.

 Targeting the 'cloud,' Red Hat deepens HP partnership

Announcements about partnerships between businesses are as common as pine pollen in North Carolina, but occasionally a deal rises to the top of the pack. Such is the case of Red Hat's expanding relationship with the world's No. 1 PC maker, huge server manufacturer and growing IT services provider.

 Big firms IBM, Lenovo, Cisco, others need small partners to cash in on $5B federal contract

Dell, Lenovo, IBM, Hewlett-Packard Co. and other big information technology providers will need to align themselves with small businesses to tap a $5 billion federal contract to supply items such as laptops, servers, routers and storage systems.

 Samsung passes Apple as No. 1 chip buyer; Lenovo, Cisco in top 10

Samsung is the new leader in the buying of semiconductors, passing Apple for the top spot. Meanwhile, Lenovo rises to No. 6. Cisco is No. 9. However, overall, semiconductor sales fall 3 percent.

 HP shares rally 5% on news it may 'sell assets or businesses'

HP says it's evaluating the disposition of businesses that don't meet goals more than a year after Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said she didn't plan to spin off the personal-computer division. However, one analyst doesn't see HP selling the PC group.

 HP: Justice Department opens probe into Autonomy deal

The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation relating to Autonomy Corp. after Hewlett- Packard Co. accused the software company of misrepresenting its performance before being bought last year.

 World's rush to tablets picks up speed - sales to double by 2016

Amid a forecast for declining PC sales this year, research firm IDC predicts that tablet sales will more than double by 2016. And Microsoft will help lead the way with increasing market share.

Market shares in tablet operating systems

 Microsoft-Intel push into tablets with Lenovo, others, is sputtering

Of more than a dozen tablets Microsoft and Intel touted for the new version of Windows, only five can be purchased for immediate U.S. delivery. Plus, early demand for Microsoft's first computer, the Surface tablet, seems "disappointing," said Craig Berger, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets.

Lenovo's Yoga after flip to tablet

 Shift to tablets drying up demand for PCs, analyst says

"People just don't need PCs the way they used to," an analyst who follows Microsoft tells Bloomberg news. "They've got alternatives now for accessing the Internet. They've got smartphones and tablets, so there's really no growth left in the traditional PC market."