Microsoft results hiding Vista issues?
updated 11:25 am EDT, Fri April 25, 2008
MS Results and Vista
Microsoft's latest quarterly report might couch a more substantial problem with the sales performance of Windows Vista, the Wall Street Journal finds in a closer examination of the results. The Windows developer fared better in absolute terms after discounting a European fine in the past quarter but has yet to explain the relatively sluggish performance of the Client division that produces Windows and Office, which grew by only four percent from 2007 to 2008 after factoring out revenue set aside last year for advance sales.
Microsoft's growth in its Windows division is also disproportionately low compared to the market as a result. Estimates by Gartner analysts have the PC hardware business growing by 12 percent, or three times Microsoft's Windows sales growth rate. The difference in expansion still leaves Microsoft in clear control but also suggests to the Journal's investigator Ben Worthen that Microsoft has been unable to foster sales of the new Windows version at the same pace as the industry.
Businesses are more likely than any to turn down Vista and newer Office updates in favor of running earlier software on newer computers, according to the report.
Microsoft initially promoted its Vista sales as evidence of a faster adoption rate, with short-term sales initially twice as quick as for XP, but has ceased making the claims aside from a revelation at the start of 2008 that it had sold 100 million copies. The latter figure accounts for just slightly over 40 percent of all PC sales in 2007 and reveals that almost 60 percent of all PCs sold last year came without Vista despite the newer platform being on sale for all but the first month of the year.
Alternative operating systems such as Linux and Mac OS X are commonly understood to have made slight inroads but are still largely eclipsed by Windows XP.
but Ballmer told me...
04/25, 11:46am reply
...Vista was a resounding success and there is not much demand in the market for the continued availability of XP!
"almost 60 percent of all PCs sold last year came without Vista despite the newer platform being on sale for all but the first month of the year."
Numbers can be made to lie, but these numbers don't lie, Ballmer. I understand why some people spin, but it's one thing to spin and quite another to assert that black is white. This is why I compare Ballmer to Bush - not to score cheap political points, but because it's remarkable how this knack for pissing on us and telling us it's just a gentle spring shower, is seemingly shared between the two.
Nobody likes having their intelligence insulted.
climacs
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Joined: Sep 2001
hmmm
04/25, 11:56am reply
How are the Windows fanboys going to spin this? Oh, wait. There aren't any. :D
Flying Meat
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Joined: Jan 2007
missed sales
04/25, 12:20pm reply
I sell a ton of iPhones to Europeans. The truth is many Europeans buy their iPhones from unlockers in the states, thus less people buy iPhones in Europe (although those would come with local support).
Also, for about 2 months it was extremely hard to get iPhones, thus Apple missed out on sales.
dliup
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Joined: Jan 2006
oops
04/25, 12:21pm reply
my comments suppose to go into the iphone story. This site posts the comments on the last page opened, instead of the page which the form is located.
dliup
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Joined: Jan 2006
Ballmer
04/25, 12:23pm reply
Can Ballmer get in trouble with the SEC? He's out and out lying to shareholders.
elroth
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Joined: Jul 2006
is this a surprise?
04/25, 12:39pm reply
The private university I work for decided not to deploy Vista this summer on new computers for a variety of reasons. Being an OS that sucks wasn't one of the top reasons. There are just too many problems that we would have to support.
Wonder how much of a clusterf*ck XP SP3 will be...
Mr. Strat
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Joined: Jan 2002
Or...
04/25, 12:52pm reply
Climacs can show political independence instead, by saying "Numbers can be made to lie, but these numbers don't lie, Ballmer. I understand why some people spin, but it's one thing to spin and quite another to assert that black is white. This is why I compare Ballmer to Bush - not to score cheap political points, but because it's remarkable how this knack for pissing on us and telling us it's just a gentle spring shower, is seemingly shared between the two.
Nobody likes having their intelligence insulted."
instead Climacs can say...
Numbers can be made to lie, but these numbers don't lie, Ballmer. I understand why some people spin, but it's one thing to spin and quite another to assert that black is white. This is why I compare Ballmer to Barack Obama - not to score cheap political points, but because it's remarkable how this knack of claiming "just words" such as "I have a Dream Today" have meaning but regarding his religious mentor's "No, no, no, Not God Bless America, God D**n America" is "just words", is seemingly shared between the two.
Nobody likes having their intelligence insulted.
That I agree with and can equally be applied to Obama, Clinton, as well as, McCain!
MeandmyMac
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Joined: Feb 2008
Don't throw rocks...
04/25, 01:17pm reply
Try and find revenues and expenses for Apple TV on Apple's balance sheet. You won't. Because they've lumped the bombing product with a bunch of other c***.
luckyday
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Joined: Apr 2008
Oranges
04/25, 01:35pm reply
"...Because they've lumped the bombing product (Apple TV)with a bunch of other c***." Luckily Apple TV isn't the flagship product, as Windows is for MS, but a forward looking item that may flop, or might grow into the next big thing, you know, like the iPod. Innovation takes risk, something you don't see in Redmond.
brainiac_7
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Joined: Jun 2005
AppleTV?
04/25, 02:09pm reply
What does AppleTV have to with Vista? You lost me.
As far as AppleTV being a flop? I'll keep mine! Very user friendly, great PQ and looks great on the Sony Bravia. It is nice and small, unobtrusive, noiseless and looks totally at home with my HT gear.
I can only see the AppleTV improving with time, not that there is much to improve upon.
I don't think I can honestly say the same regarding Vista.
localnet
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Joined: Feb 2005