By Michelle Kessler,
USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO - Dell (DELL) is winning over Wall Street again - but some of its customers remain unhappy with the beleaguered PC giant.

Dell on Thursday reported preliminary revenue of $14.8 billion for the quarter ended Aug. 3. That is up from $14.1 billion a year ago, topping analysts’ estimates - and a welcome change from several quarters of lackluster results.

The No. 2 PC maker also conceded that a shortage of laptop parts continues to prevent it from filling some orders.

Dell’s regularly scheduled earnings report was, for the fourth quarter in a row, light on details. The company is still tangled in an accounting investigation that began in August 2005, so it is not filing official numbers with the Securities and Exchange Commission or taking questions from equity analysts. Although Dell ended its internal inquiry this month, determining that a relatively minor restatement was necessary, an SEC investigation remains open.

Dell said it hopes to have all overdue documents filed with the SEC by early November. In the meantime, it reported preliminary net income of $733 million, or 32 cents a share, up from $502 million, or 22 cents a share, a year ago. Wall Street analysts on average had expected 30 cents a share. The results include a 5-cent-per’share charge related to the accounting probe.

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