Microsoft Corp. reported a dip in quarterly profit Thursday as sales of personal computers lagged expectations and Apple Inc.’s iPad began to eat away at the fringes of its core market.

The world’s largest maker of software, which powers more than 90 percent of the world’s computers, reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $6.63 billion, or 77 cents per share. That compared with $6.66 billion, or 74 cents per share, a year earlier. The per share figure was higher due to a reduction in shares outstanding from last year. Get the full story »