(CNN) – Intel earnings are kicking off what some analysts call tech earnings season.  Many look to Intel as an indicator of the health of the broader tech sector.

The company beat expectations coming in with $3 billion in Q-3 profit, or 52 cents a share.  That’s compared with 1.9 billion or 33 cents a share in the same quarter last year.

“It was an all-time record in terms of revenue – our first quarter ever above $11 billion,” Intel CFO Stacy Smith told me.

Intel’s stock rose in after-hours trading.  The company says PC demand is staying strong despite declines in U.S. consumer demand.

Some analysts say Intel has been left out in the iPad craze, focusing on cheap PCs known as netbooks rather than tablet style technology and smartphones.

Can Intel create excitement about its stock without a foothold in the tablet market?  How important is China’s market?