Apple Computer Inc., citing broad growth in...

Apple Computer Inc., citing broad growth in sales, said Thursday that its second-quarter profit nearly quadrupled over the previous year’s second quarter. But results for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Compaq Computer Corp. said its first-quarter profit rose slightly, but analysts said they expect the world’s top personal computer maker to gain momentum as it shifts toward faster computer chips.

Apple earned $73 million, or 59 cents a share, for the three months ended March 31. It earned $17 million, of 15 cents a share, for the same quarter last year, when it was just introducing its Power Macintosh line. Revenue rose 28%, to $2.65 billion from $2.07 billion.

Compaq earned $216 million for the three months ended March 31, up from $213 million for the same period last year. Profit amounted to 80 cents a share, the same as last year. Revenue rose 29%, to $2.96 billion from $2.3 billion a year ago, the Houston-based company said.