Dell considered going private

At an investor conference in New York Thursday, Michael Dell said he has considered taking his company private.

He made the statement in response to a question at a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. conference, according to several reports. Dell did not explain why or what the motivation for considering selling his company had been.

Apparently, it was a passing thought, because Dell followed up the comment by saying he is "totally committed to continuing to run the business for a long period of time" and that he has "every intention to continue running the company for the foreseeable future."

For more on this story, read Dell considered buyout on CNET News.