Dell to Sell Factories as It Retools Strategy

Cost-cutting kills off plans for flashy new product lines

(NEWSER) - Shifting consumer demand and the sagging economy spell trouble for Dell's turnaround strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Founder Michael Dell had been making progress since returning to the company last year with a two-pronged rescue plan, but weak sales mean his goals of cutting costs at the low end of the PC market while developing high-end gadgets are starting to conflict. More»

US remains biggest market as demand in other skyrockets

(NEWSER) - PC makers are increasingly setting their sights on markets outside the US, which are making up an ever-larger share of the worldwide computer market, USA Today reports. PC sales are growing in the US, still the world’s largest market, but are rising much faster elsewhere. Last year, the US accounted for 26% of worldwide sales, compared to 35% 5 years ago. More»

(NEWSER) - Dell is considering a move into the smartphone business, the Wall Street Journal reports. The computer company has had engineers working on models for more than a year and could launch a competitor to the iPhone or Blackberry as early as next month. CEO Michael Dell also could pull the plug on the project, which remains officially under wraps. More»

Netbook drives up laptop sales

(NEWSER) - The demand for Acer Netbooks has pushed laptop sales beyond desktop PC sales for the first time ever, CNET reports. Notebook PC shipments rose almost 40% for the third quarter of 2008 to 38.6 million units, while desktop sales slipped 1.3% to 38.5 million. Hewlett-Packard remains the top PC supplier, while Dell and Acer claim second and third place respectively. More»

'Adamo' mystery sets tech world abuzz

(NEWSER) - Dell's mystery product Adamo could be a super-slim laptop even lighter than the MacBook Air, but it's proving impossible to get solid information about it, Ashlee Vance writes in the New York Times. The firm has registered the trademark and set up a teaser site, but declines to comment on Adamo. A Dell exec appeared shocked when asked if a lighter-than-Air product was in the works. More»