Dell blames 'deteriorating outlook' for PCs in privacy plea

Dell Windows 8 PC
A stark look at Dell's future

In a massive filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last Friday, Dell bared its soul on the company's reasons for going private.

CNET reported Sunday that PC maker Dell has plenty of valid reasons for taking the private route, laying them all out for the commission to vet.

In a 274-page filing, Dell argued its case for to go private by accepting a $24.4 billion offer currently on the table.

Included among the evidence presented in the filing is a "deteriorating outlook for the PC market as a result of, among other things, smartphones and tablets cannibalizing PC sales."

Shaky PC future

Dell's filing included portions of a December 2012 presentation from Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell, who told the Board of Directors that going private would be "the best course for the company and its unaffiliated stockholders."

Other meetings from the same month point a finger at the "uncertain adoption of the Windows 8 operating system," which threatened to further drag down the ailing PC maker.

"Mr. Dell stated his belief that such initiatives, if undertaken as a public company, would be poorly received by the stock market because they would reduce near-term profitability, raise operating expenses and capital expenditures, and involve significant risk," the SEC filing read.

Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden also painted a dreary picture last September, citing "adverse developments, coupled with generally weakening demand in the global PC market and lower PC margin rates."

We'll continue to keep you up to speed on the latest from Dell's attempt to go private.

Via CNET