laptops

Dell shares opened sharply lower on Wednesday after the PC maker posting disappointing financial results. Sales are soft, margins are contracting, and the outlook is uninspiring.

'Tis the season to buy tech products -- almost. If you're looking to upgrade, it's probably best to wait till Black Friday. Computers, high-end smartphones, HDTVs and tablets will see sharp discounts for the holidays.

Gartner has lowered its laptop-sales forecast for this year and the next, predicting that the popularity of tablets and smartphones will slow laptop sales. Gartner expects worldwide laptop sales to increase 11% this year and and 14% next year, down from a previously forecast 16$ and 15%, respectively.

Samsung is out to boost its laptop sales by 80% this year, and key to that effort will be its supersvelte 9 Series notebook. Aimed directly at Apple's MacBook Air, the new machine is a move to refocus on high-end gear -- with a high-end price to match.

U.S. consumers spent 5% less on consumer electronics during the last holiday season compared to a year earlier, according to a new report from NPD Group. Even at discounted prices, Americans bought fewer flat-screen televisions and desktop computers, as well as lower-end digital cameras and MP3 players, according to the report.

In a move to help it target tablet computers, cell-phone-chip designer Qualcomm has reportedly offered $3.5 billion to buy Atheros Communications, which has developed chips that connect wireless computers to the Internet.

Google's already got deals to supply its Chrome operating system for Hewlett-Packard and Acer laptops. But now rumors are circulating that the company's about to come out with its own laptop, also named Chrome and made by Inventec, later this month.

Corning's (GLW) third-quarter profit rose 22% from a year earlier, as higher sales of the company's automotive and diesel-emission products more than offset the falling glass prices for flat-panel TVs.

It seems like every month, Apple's got a new innovation to share with us. Engadget reported that at the the "Back to Mac" event on Oct. 20, Apple unveiled two new MacBook Airs, one 11-inch and one 13-inch, which are even thinner than the last incarnation of the computer. And like nearly every...