Intel raises its sales forecast. The world's largest chipmaker is reporting for its processors and chipsets. And while Intel is careful to point out that the global economy is still frail, its positive guidance is encouraging.

Market-research firm for computers, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets is on the upswing. It's feasible that many folks who've put off hardware upgrades are finally deciding it's safe to spend again.

, despite reporting a drop in net income and revenue for its second fiscal quarter, is expecting an increase in global IT spending in the 2nd half of 2009.

It's a given that the launch of will help Microsoft's bottom line. But the new OS could also spur businesses to upgrade their aging fleets of PCs, many of which still run . End result: A boost in hardware sales for PC makers.

is coming next year, and Redmond is promising plenty of . If the productivity suite lives up to its hype, longtime users may shell out for the upgrade. Then again, the prolonged recession may have convinced many to ditch Microsoft's bloated software for something cheaper and slimmer like . However, since Microsoft will offer a free Web version of MS Office, this battle is far from over.