Apple (AAPL), Dell and other M&A news: Shares of Apple, which have been in freefall lately, closed slightly lower, hitting another new 52-week low.

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Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook

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Apple (AAPL) earned $8.2 billion in the quarter ended September 29 on sales of $36 billion. That profit came up short of analysts' expectations, and Apple shares dropped in after-hours trading before coming back near breakeven.

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The new Apple (AAPL) iPad Mini is the paperback version many tablet users have been waiting for.

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After Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Google showed that you could craft a quality, affordable tablet around a seven-inch screen, Apple (AAPL) responded this month with its new iPad mini.

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Apple (APPL) CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event at the historic California Theater on October 23, 2012 in San Jose, California.

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Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller announces the new iPad Mini during an Apple special event in San Jose, California.

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The new iMac has an option for a new 'Fusion Drive,' which combines flash and hard drive storage for faster reading and writing.

Apple (APPL) CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event at the historic California Theater on October 23, 2012 in San Jose, California.

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