Silicon Valley perspective topic of tech forum today

With friends like these, there might be hope for a high tech in Hawaii.

The University of Hawaii College of Business Administration and the Emmett R. Quady Foundation are sponsoring a technology panel discussion at 5:30 p.m. today in the UH School of Architecture Auditorium.

John Dean will introduce the panel for "Venture Capital ...A Silicon Valley Perspective: A talk with friends of Hawaii."

Dean is chairman of the board at Silicon Valley Bancshares and Silicon Valley Bank and an investor in Honolulu-based Viata Software Inc.

Panelists are: Jean Louis Gassee, chief executive officer of Computer Access Technology Corp.; Jamie Shennan, general partner of Trinity Ventures; Charlie Bass, chairman of Socket Communications; and Barry Weinman, managing director of Allegis Capital and general partner of AVI Management. All of them have either lived in Hawaii or own property here.

The panel is part of the Kipapa Lecture Series, which endeavors to expose the university community to representatives of the business world. On March 7, the speaker will be John May, partner of New Vantage Group and co-author of "Every Business Needs an Angel." For more information on the series or today's free event, call 956-8780.

Dell's earnings up 5.1% as consumer demand rises

AUSTIN, Texas >> Dell Computer Corp., the largest personal-computer maker, said fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 5.1 percent on a jump in consumer demand.

Bloomberg News reported net income in the period ended Feb. 1 rose to $456 million, or 17 cents a share, from $434 million, or 16 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Sales declined 7 percent to $8.06 billion from $8.67 billion.

The PC maker increased its focus on consumers with television advertisements and appearances by Chief Executive Michael Dell on Comcast Corp.'s QVC home-shopping channel. Dell said revenue in the fiscal first quarter will fall 3 percent to 5 percent from the fourth quarter, to about $7.65 billion to $7.82 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings sales of $7.66 billion.

Hewlett-Packard profits triple, exceed forecasts

SAN JOSE, Calif. >> First-quarter profits at Hewlett-Packard Co. more than tripled on strong computer and printer sales to consumers, beating analysts' recently raised forecasts. Even so, executives said yesterday that HP still needs to buy Compaq Computer Corp. to solve long-term problems.

HP is fighting hard to rally support for the $22.6 billion Compaq deal against intense opposition from dissident director Walter Hewlett, who said the strong earnings report proved that HP would be fine without taking on Compaq.

In the three-month period ending Jan. 31, HP reported net income of $484 million, or 25 cents per share, compared with $141 million, or 7 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue dropped 8 percent to $11.4 billion. Excluding acquisition-related charges, HP said it earned $564 million, or 29 cents per share, down from $812 million, or 41 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts were expecting earnings excluding charges of 25 cents per share.