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REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced record revenue of $10.82 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2004, a 7% increase over the results in the same period of the prior year. Operating income for the second quarter was $4.75 billion, which was an increase of $3.27 billion over the same period in the prior year...... "Our record revenue came from across-the-board strength in both our business and consumer segments," said John Connors, chief financial officer at Microsoft. "And our long-term approach to growing new businesses is paying off. Home and Entertainment delivered its first profitable...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. personal incomes soared a record 3.7 percent in December, largely as the result of a one-time $32 billion dividend payment from Microsoft, the Commerce Department said Monday. Excluding the dividend, incomes rose 0.6 percent, the government said. Meanwhile, consumer spending increased 0.8 percent in December, as spending on durable goods jumped 4.3 percent. ....................... The $32 billion paid out by Microsoft was reported as an annual $298 billion increase in December's income. The government estimates about $24.8 billion of the $32 billion was paid to U.S. residents...............