Pc, Quarterly Earnings | featured news

Hewlett-Packard Co.'s first-quarter earnings declined 16% as the technology giant continued to see weaker sales in its core personal computer business, though adjusted profits beat the company's expectations.

Microsoft is on the verge of releasing Windows 8, its biggest software product in years — and the company's lackluster financial results on Thursday underscored how badly the company needs it to deliver.

The company revised its forecast for the current quarter, indicating worries about the impact of the Japan earthquake, softness in sales of PCs and lower operating profits in its services unit.

Microsoft Corp is set to report a dip in earnings on Thursday, a year after the launch of its Windows 7 operating system blew away Wall Street estimates, as sales of personal computers lag expectations and Apple Inc's iPad eats away at the fringes of its core market.