A Dell spokesman said final pricing had not been set, but would be "less than $6,000," which in marketing code means $5,999.99.

Jess Blackburn, a Dell spokesman, said the company's buybacks were a shrewd investment that would pay off.

"The tenets of the model remain the same," said Venancio Figueroa, a Dell spokesman.

Department officials and a Dell spokesman said they stood by the findings.

"We expect competition and it's good for customers," a Dell spokesman said.

The average waiting time to speak to a customer support technician has been cut by 50 percent in recent months, said Bob Pearson, a Dell spokesman.

A Dell spokesman said Mr. Schneider was not fired and described it as "a retirement."

(Ninety-two percent of all problems are resolved over the phone, a Dell spokesman said.)

"We think there is still an opportunity to take significant cuts out of our business," the Dell spokesman said.

A Dell spokesman declined to comment on its marketing relationship with Intel.