We may soon see "one of the biggest advances in years in the technology that powers laptop and desktop computers," according to the Wall Street Journal, as chipmakers begin to merge microprocessors and graphics-processing units.

Microprocessors are described as "the calculating engines that run most PC software," while graphics-processing units "render images in video games and other programs." According to the report, Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are expected to make announcements about this move at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.

Continue reading AMD and Intel to Introduce Combination Chips

AMD and Intel to Introduce Combination Chips originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After the closing bell sounded Monday, Canadian tech firm Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) released the BlackBerry PlayBook, its answer to Apple's (AAPL) iPad. The tablet has a 7-inch LCD screen, a front-facing video camera, and a 1Ghz dual-core processor. The PlayBook will also support Adobe's Flash.

The PlayBook wasn't a real surprise, as The Wall Street Journal hinted a week ago that RIM would introduce a tablet. While the company didn't release the price, Silicon Alley Insider posits that BlackBerry will assign a price tag in the $400 to $500 range. Why not introduce the price now? Silicon Alley Insider suggests that this was a smart move by RIM, as it could be as many as six months before the PlayBook will ship, which means there may be more competition from other companies, along with the potential for a new iPad from Apple. Waiting allows RIM to gauge the prices from the other companies and price its offering a bit more competitively.

Continue reading Will Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook Challenge the Apple iPad?

Will Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook Challenge the Apple iPad? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It appears that computer firm Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) was not going to sit idly by and allow Dell (DELL) to purchase data storage firm 3Par (PAR). Reportedly, HP is bidding $1.5 billion for 3Par, more than Dell's offer of $1.13 billion.

This potential bidding war between California-based HP and Dell demonstrates that both companies are attempting to find larger profits by moving beyond personal computers. HP's offer comes to $24 per share, which is a 33% premium over Dell's $18-per-share bid.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard Outbids Dell for 3Par

Hewlett-Packard Outbids Dell for 3Par originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading NetApp's Fourth-Quarter Profit Doubles

NetApp's Fourth-Quarter Profit Doubles originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 May 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) reported Q3 results after the bell on Thursday. Net sales decreased 7% when compared to the year-ago period. Okay, that doesn't sound like a great start. Wait, though, because things are about to get better from here.

Sales actually increased 1% on a sequential basis. Net profit on a dollar basis went up 14%. Net margin improved. And on a per-share basis, net income jumped 18% to $2.40. According to our earnings preview, this was two pennies ahead of analyst projections.

Continue reading IBM's incredible third quarter -- would you sell on these numbers?

IBM's incredible third quarter -- would you sell on these numbers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), a PC maker that competes with Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Apple (NASDAQ: APPL), received an upgrade on Monday. According to Marketwatch, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech is bullish on the company because of the possibility that corporations will perceive a need to invest in technologies to replace older systems. The analyst thinks Dell shares are a buy.

Well, Dell's stock sure has experienced a high amount of momentum this year, no question about it. The market is clearly discounting an end to the recession. If such an event is essentially in place, then it's easy to see why investors would buy Dell. Not only will businesses put cash to work to make their operations more competitively efficient, but consumers will likewise get out there and replace the laptops/desktops/printers/whatever that they've held onto for longer than usual because the effect of declining Wall Street indexes made them fearful of any big-ticket purchases. Dell should theoretically benefit from a macro recovery, since the company's brand still resonates with the PC-buying crowd.

Continue reading Dell gets upgraded ahead of earnings report: What should investors make of this?

Dell gets upgraded ahead of earnings report: What should investors make of this? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), a technology company whose colleagues include International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM), Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT), Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), issued its third-quarter numbers on Tuesday after the bell. Relatively speaking, the results weren't bad: top-line sales dropped 2%, and adjusted earnings per share came in at 91 cents, a penny ahead of expectations, as DailyFinance reported.

Hewlett-Packard is obviously trying to keep costs and expenses under control. In fact, the company reported its adjusted operating margin went up. And its adjusted earnings per share actually increased 6% compared to last year's performance.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard does relatively well in Q3

Hewlett-Packard does relatively well in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), the famous name behind the iPod and other nifty tech products, and a company that competes with formidable opponents such as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), issued its Q3 numbers yesterday. Once again, Apple proves itself to be a company that an investor should have owned.

According to Tom Johansmeyer's earnings preview, Apple was supposed to deliver $8.2 billion in sales and $1.16 per share in bottom-line income. It was even thought that Apple might go beyond Wall Street's estimates and make $1.32 per share. Well, investors were pretty pleased to see over $8.3 billion in sales and $1.35 per share in income. Impressive.

Continue reading Apple looking good in Q3

Apple looking good in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's only a stopgap measure, everyone knows. It's a temporary reprieve for XP. Just the same, netbooks are allowing XP, the operating system Microsoft tore from its loyal public last year, to make a comeback.

Last year I tried to get a new computer but was so badly abused by Vista I took it back and reformatted my old computer so I could avoid the demanding operating system.

Continue reading The return of Windows XP

The return of Windows XP originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple (AAPL) shares still a bit pricey

Apple (AAPL) shares still a bit pricey originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Seagate (STX) aims to drive emerging hybrid hard drive market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Everyone who's interested in the Dell to Wal-Mart retail scenario wants to get a better idea of just exactly what Dell intends to do over there. We all know that Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is the "Low Price Leader", so how does this play out for Dell (NASDAQ: DELL)? Being that my Dell corporate headquarters spy drones are down for repairs and my Wal-Mart corporate spy cams have been taken off line, I can only speculate on the intended direction which Dell's move is going to take. Over at Engadget the response to this move has been tepid, or leaning towards not well received.

First, let me say that at its root this Dell move is an excellent idea. By that I mean Dell has needed a direct outlet to the consumer for quite some time. Some of the tech sector analysts where aghast when they heard of this move because they had quickly assumed that Dell was changing over their entire marketing strategy to volume by low price but I assure you that's not what's happening here. Dell will still be building the lion's share of its desktop computers to customer order and shipping them direct. Wal-Mart, for the time being at least, shall only be handling a couple exclusive Dimension desktop models and I expect a select few notebook and laptop models. I predict also that as Dell earns Wal-Mart shelf space, there will be other Dell branded consumer electronics moving in there, but probably never their full desktop line.

Wal-Mart is historically demanding in their requirements for wholesale purchasing. They set the prices, the volume and the time tables. It's very much a take it or leave it world when selling to Wal-Mart. To me, it's kind of a sign of desperation that Dell has opted to go this route. I honestly thought that a Radio Shack (NYSE: RSH) scenario would play out to a much greater advantage for Dell than this Wal-Mart strategy. Is this a sign that as consumers we're expected to cheapen our expectations when thinking of Dell? I assure you that is what will happen. I'm expecting to spend about $2000 on a new PC next year. Perhaps it will be a Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) after all.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work on these spy drones.

Dell's move into Wal-Mart: a change in strategy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 May 2007 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Laptop revenue grew 45%, with units up 61%
• Desktop growth was up 9%
• Ergo, the total personal computer business was up 24%

HP posts strong results amid signs of industry weakness originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 May 2007 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A fellow I know is preparing himself for a college education in veterinary science. Knowing that I slink around the internet tech world, he came to me looking for advice about what notebook computer he should buy. He plans to spend between $400 and $600 and he wants to get the most for his money (smart kid). He needs his machine for internet access, music downloads, heavy-duty emailing and of course for some school work.

It occurred to me that because my computer experience is limited to desktop models I might not be Andy's best source of information on the latest notebooks. So I told him that I'd present the question to our readers and deliver your input back to him. Knowing that our readers are some of the brightest minds on the internet, I have no doubt that Andy will get his best information right here on BloggingStocks.

So, the question is:

What is the best laptop computer that Andy can get for between $400 and $600 and what should he expect as far as speed, memory, peripherals and overall performance?

Apple, HP, Gateway or Dell - looking for the best notebook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Note: The Daily Option Update is provided by Stock Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX up .27 to 10.59.

New Century Financial Corp. NYSE: NEW implied volatility bid up as NEW sells off on restatement. New Century Fin'l, a real estate investment trust, providing mortgage products to borrowers nationwide, is recently down $8.72 to $21.45. New Century Fin'l announced it will have to restate operating results for the first three quarters of 2006. Merrill Lynch downgraded NEW to Sell, Jeffries lowered to Hold & Friedman Billings downgraded NEW to Underperform. NEW March option implied volatility of 69 is above its 26-week average of 42 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

H&R Block-NYSE:HRB April option implied volatility & put volume elevated on hedging. H&R Block is recently down $.30 to $24.54. Soleil said on 2/7/07 "we rate H&R Block Buy; $29 price target. We believe Block is close to entraining sale of the company (whole or in parts)." H&R Block call option volume of 2,945 contracts compares to put volume of 42,299 contracts. HRB April option implied volatility of 33 is above its 26-week average of 26 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Option volume leaders today were: Cisco-(NASDAQ-CSCO), Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM), Bristol Meyers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Apple Computer (NASDAQ: AAPL).

Daily Option Update - February 8, 2007 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options were up today .37 to 10.79.

Tyco's (NYSE: TYC) option implied volatility was flat as investors digested the Tyco SEC spin-off filings. Tyco is expected to break itself up into three publicly traded company's at the end of April of 2007 (Electronics $12.7 billion in revenue, Healthcare $10 billion in revenue & Fire & Security Engineered products $18 billion in revenue). Prudential said "Investors buying Tyco shares based on sum-of-the-parts valuation may want to reconsider given that prevails expected highest multiple businesses likely to incur highest tax rates (30%+) in year 1 & 2." Tyco's overall option implied volatility of 21 is near its 26-week average, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risks.

Option volume leaders today were: Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO), Apple Computer (NASDAQ: AAPL), Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Note: The Daily Option Update is provided by Options Specialist Paul Foster of Theflyonthewall.com.

Daily Option Update - January 22, 2007 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stock indices were mixed in early morning trading as investors waited to see the Commerce Department's figures on personal spending and personal consumption, due out at 8:30 a.m.

The report gives an indication of inflation so will be closely watched. The key is to see if the core PCE deflator is higher than 2%. Around 10 a.m. the University of Michigan will issue its latest reading on consumer sentiment.

If both these economic numbers are tame, it will probably be a quiet trading day ahead of the three-day holiday weekend. But sometimes when trading is light, price swings on economic news can be more pronounced. CNBC's correspondent on the floor of an empty Chicago exchange says active trading will come early and then taper off during the day.

In other financial news, it looks like Treasury Secretary John Snow may step down. We'll all still be digesting the news of the Enron convictions.

Here's a look at some key Blogging Stocks:

Apple (AAPL) shares are up 2 cents in pre-market trading to $64.35 as of 8 a.m. Apple is selling its PowerSchool division to Pearson.

General Electric (GE) shares were down 1 cent to $34.41 when last traded after hours at 7:50 p.m. Australian site covers GE's nuclear energy plans.

Time Warner (TWX) shares were down 7 cents in after hours trading to $17.37 at 7 p.m. last night. TheStreet.com looks at competitor Cablevision's set-top box strategy.

Wal-Mart (WMT) shares were flat with yesterday's close at $49.45 as of 8 a.m. Washington Post writes about how some believe Wal-Mart is moving workers to part-time to avoid paying benefits.

Before the bell 05-26-06: AAPL, GE, TWX, WMT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 May 2006 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.