It's been a while since we reported a big hire or promotion by one of our favorite major software or hardware companies.

Back in the earlier months of 2006, it seemed like good 'ol Microsoft was moving people from one position to the next -- as if playing a game of boardroom magical chairs. As the Christmas season has set into gear, however, most companies have remained mum: until now. Dell has recently announced that former Wells Fargo employee, Sona Chawla, has been appointed head of online sales and support.

Chawla will be working directly under Dell's senior vice president, John Hamlin. Both will work hard to further streamline the company's online store, which hasn't exactly been slinging out the goods in drive-thru numbers. (Source: news.com)

Like its preferred chipmaker, Intel, Dell has struggled throughout the year. Although Dell was ready to report what it considered impressive profits in November, investigations of the company by the Securities and Exchange Commission scuttled the celebration. More concerning than anything was the massive drop of Dell's market share, a trend that is almost exclusively responsible for Chawla's appointment. (Source: news.com)

Although Dell's online store is already considerably "streamlined," it may be just a bit too restrictive for the customizing PC fan. Users are given very little option in which products he or she would like to have installed (personally, I'd like to see them offer higher-end graphics cards).

For those wondering, $16 billion of Dell's annual $56 billion revenue is done via online sales. Checking the calculator...that's 29%.