StarCraft II, the sequel to one of the most popular PC games of all time, has been a dozen years in the making. But the wait has paid off. Game maker Blizzard Entertainment says it sold 1.5 million copies in the first 48 hours after launch.
After PC buying stalled during the recession, it's time again to replace those old machines. Such buying kicked in during the second quarter, and it's buoying expectations that Dell's sales and earnings growth will regain badly needed vigor.
Intel's record earnings suggest that companies are starting to loosen up a bit on tech spending as they finally start replacing their four- and five-year-old PCs. This replacement cycle should bid up the stocks of companies in the IT sector. But how long will this wave of higher spending last?
Investors are looking for a strong showing from the bellwether chipmaker, which would offer further evidence that U.S. companies -- and tech firms in particular -- are continuing to emerge from the recession. Analysts expect Intel to come through.
In an extraordinary blog post, Frank Shaw presses a case for the company's primacy in tech -- clearly a reaction to its many critics and skeptics on Wall Street, given that Microsoft's share price is less than half what it was in 1999.
Semiconductor sales hit $23.1 billion in March, further solidifying the industry's growth after a brutal downturn a year ago, according to the closely watched Semiconductor Industry Association report. It was the second-best period on record after November 2007.
Worldwide personal computer shipments increased more than 20 percent in the first three months of 2010 from the same period a year ago, a sign the PC business is on firmer ground after one of its shakiest stretches ever. The quarterly increase was higher than expected by IDC and Gartner.
With speculation mounting that Apple is preparing to unveil a new tablet-style computer, the company invited reporters to come see its "latest creation" at an event in San Francisco next week. Meanwhile, a news report said Apple will release a 22-inch, touch-enabled, all-in-one PC in 2010.
The world's No. 1 chip maker will release its fourth-quarter earnings in a new format on Thursday, better to show Wall Street how it restructured to remain competitive during the recession.
