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 Netbooks account for 20% of Q1 laptop shipments

Netbooks account for 20% of Q1 laptop shipments originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The article you are reading here was written on a netbook, a $350 machine. A lot of people thought netbooks would not have a market. They have small screens and less powerful processors than a laptop. Most of what a netbook can do can also be done on a smartphone like a BlackBerry.

But, this article is being written on a netbook. I have owned huge laptops for several years and a smaller one for the last year. When that died, I figured "why not take the risk? If it does not work out, how much money has been risked?

According to The Wall Street Journal, "A new breed of low-priced laptops called netbooks have been thriving during the downturn -- so well, in fact, that many high-tech companies are scrambling to adapt."

A netbook can run Linux or a scaled down version of Windows. Chip companies trying to sell high-end hardware like graphics semiconductors are out of luck. Whoever makes big laptop screens may not be around for long.

What's wrong with a netbook. The keypad is small. That takes a few days to get used to. The machine is a bit slow. For a heavy PC user that may cut productivity by five or ten minutes a day. But, it can operate with six or seven windows open and plays video just fine.

And, it weighs two pounds and can be carried around like a copy of a modest-sized biography.

The rise of the netbook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony issues recall for popular laptop originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ) shares opened in the red by more than 1% today, but have been regaining ground after laptop maker Compal Electronics Inc. lowered its shipment growth forecast for the second quarter to 10% from its previous estimate of 13-15%. Compal supplies laptops to HPQ, and said a shortage of batteries is responsible for the revised forecast. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on HPQ.

After hitting a one-year high of $53.48 in November, the stock hit a one-year low of $39.99 in January. This morning, HPQ opened at $48.24. So far today the stock has hit a low of $47.54 and a high of $53.48. As of 12:15, HPQ is trading at $48.15, down $0.12 (-0.25%). The chart for HPQ looks bullish and deteriorating slightly, while S&P gives the stock a bullish 4 Stars (out of 5) Buy rating.

For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a May bear-call credit spread above the $50 range. A bear-call credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of call options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 4.2% return in nine trading days as long as HPQ is below $50 at May expiration. HP would have to rise by more than 9% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

Continue reading Hewlett Packard (HPQ) dips on battery supply problems

Hewlett Packard (HPQ) dips on battery supply problems originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Big box giants Best Buy, Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CC) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) are expected to join the fray, and these retailers will most likely spill the beans today and tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day) to whet the appetites of computer bargain hunters come this Friday morning -- also known, of course, as Black Friday.

Continue reading Black Friday laptop deals will be plentiful

Black Friday laptop deals will be plentiful originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More good news came from Intel . Net income rose 43% to $1.86 billion, or 31 cents per share, from $1.30 billion, or 22 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue soared 15% to $10.9 billion. These results beat consensus forecasts of 30 cents on revenue of $8.74 billion. Intel Chief Executive Paul Otelini said he expects results to improve in the fourth quarter: "We are very pleased with the results and optimistic about our business." Shares of Intel soared in after-market action.

Continue reading Yahoo, Intel, IBM beat Wall Street forecasts: Is tech back?

Yahoo, Intel, IBM beat Wall Street forecasts: Is tech back? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Gateway recalls 14,000 laptop batteries

Gateway recalls 14,000 laptop batteries originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:39:00 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.

I haven't dug into Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) too deeply lately but I'm hearing noises that investors are beginning to get just a bit impatient with it. That's a bit odd to me considering that Dell has recorded anywhere from 13% to 17% growth for the year 2006. Dell has changed the position of Don Carty and I am yet to see exactly what it is saying in support of that choice. I don't find the placement of Carty to be a strange thing. What I do find a tiny bit curious is the recent quietness from Dell. We need for them to outline its game plan. I want some facts about where it's going and how it plans to get there. The market analysts seem to be saying that Dell needs to expand its marketing attack. What are Dell's plans?

I have long been a fan of Dell. I like the company and I like its products. I'm writing this blog piece on a Dell computer right now. I plan for my next computer to be a Dell also. When I bought this machine I got a lot more than I bargained for. Dell has replaced my modem twice. The first time it turned out that the problem was the fault of my (former) ISP. Dell helped us figure that out. The second modem the company replaced was due to a lightening strike. The fantastic part is this, neither replacement cost me a penny. Dell has gone the extra mile for me, to the point that I sometimes wonder if it made any money on this machine. The fact of the matter is this, Dell has unquestionably won my loyalty. That's one heck of a good way to do business.

Continue reading Is Dell forming a new plan?

Is Dell forming a new plan? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. Vote for Michael Dell's fall from grace or see other nominees.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) has had a rocky year. And when Dell has a bad year, you can be sure Michael Dell, its founder, chairman and biggest shareholder, has had a rocky year as well.

Last summer Dell (the company and the man, no doubt) struggled with an embarrassing problem involving exploding laptop batteries. Ultimately, it had to recall more than 4 million laptops that contained batteries made by Sony Corporation (NASDAQ:SNE).

Aside from that expensive little gaffe -- which plagued other laptop manufacturers as well -- Dell also had to confront weak sales in the U.S. Not only does the company face an ongoing fierce price war (heard about those $99 laptops at Wal-Mart, anyone?), but arch rival Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) has been coming on strong. In October, Dell lost its rank as the No. 1 U.S. PC maker to HP.

The company has also been under Securities and Exchange Commission investigation for its accounting and in mid-November had to announce an earnings delay, which pummeled the shares.

Continue reading Best & Worst: Michael Dell's year of burning batteries and SEC problems

Best & Worst: Michael Dell's year of burning batteries and SEC problems originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

$99 holiday laptop coming to Circuit City originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart starts holiday shopping season with bargain-basement laptop originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not too long ago Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced a recall of Powerbook and iBook batteries. The laptops were fairly new, and the cost of replacing so many batteries had some pundits wondering if that would negatively hit Apple's stock price. The story spread throughout a number of news venues as indications of stormy waters ahead for Apple.

But the problem was with Sony-made battery packs. Apple's quality control just happened to be the first to pick up on the problem, and the first to suffer the bad news.

Now the issue is spreading throughout the laptop manufacturers. Today Lenovo announced that it was recalling 357,000 laptops batteries worldwide that posed a fire hazard to customers. These are batteries in both IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad and T series laptops sold between Feburary 2005 and September 2006.

Dell also recalled batteries at the same time as Apple did, with cost estimates for the exploding battery replacement swap being in the area of a quarter of a billion dollars. Toshiba is now also starting to exchange Sony batteries.

No doubt the greatest impact will be on Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and its close relationship with these major computer manufacturers. Though Sony produces a massive product line, it will have to work hard to mend fences. And also hope that no one catches fires and sues them.

Laptop battery recalls spread to other computer companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.