10/16/2008, 1:30pm, EDT
Thursday, October 16thBallmer talks Windows 7 upgrades, Yahoo deal [U]
(Updated with official statement on Yahoo) It is alright if corporate buyers choose to skip Windows Vista and wait for Windows 7, claims Microsoft's Steve Ballmer. The CEO made the statement at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo in Orlando, shedding Microsoft's typical position of insisting on the value of Vista. The OS has received considerable criticism from businesses and the public, mainly over issues such as driver compatibility and User Account Control. Ballmer suggests that the OS is nevertheless doing well, with an adoption rate twice that of Windows XP despite being available for just two years.
Ballmer describes Windows 7 as effectively being Vista, "but a lot better," with a cleaner interface and a host of unspecified changes that will mark it as more than a service pack.
Regarding Microsoft's long-standing interest in buying Yahoo, the executive says that while the purchase would still be logical, no talks of any sort are in progress. The comment has in fact bolstered Yahoo shares, which are up from a low of just over $11 to approximately $13 as of press time. When Microsoft made its initial buyout attempt, it offered $33 per share.
Update: Microsoft has issued an official statement purportedly correcting Ballmer's observations at the event.
"Our position hasn’t changed," it reads. "Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo!; there are no discussions between the companies."
Filed under: industry, enterprise
Other story tags: Microsoft, Vista, Windows, Yahoo, Windows 7
, 
, 8
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Top
subscribe to comments
for this article
Howling at the moon again
Howling at the moon again
Its the master plan
Windows 7 is really MS's master plan to get XP users to finally upgrade to vista anyway.
Take Vista, change the GUI around a bit, add some new services and APIs, tweak the stuff that people complained about in vista and then line up for another attempt at ramming it down the throat.
I suspect that "Vista Reloaded" would be a good name for it, because that is probably what it will be.
2x the adoption of XP???
2x the adoption of XP how? More like there shoving it into new PC's even though nobody wants it. People that do buy a new PC put there old Windows XP on it instead. But of course Microsoft wants you to believe otherwise, even if it isn't true at all. The demand to have XP support continued has delayed Microsoft's plan of dropping it. Another sign that they are lying through there teeth!
yes
"Hello, I'm a PC. I agree with Mac that Vista isn't very good, but if you wait two more years we'll have Windows 7. It'll be just like Vista, only better. So buy a PC, and get ready for something like Vista - only better. And only two years from now."
I love it when Ballmer opens his mouth.
Read the update above!
heehee!!! So, there was a point to talking to the guy?
Seems to be lost in factual inaccuracy, after all.
WOW
"It is alright if corporate buyers choose to skip Windows Vista and wait for Windows 7"
It's really big of Ballmer to give business PERMISSION to skip Vista since they're already doing that anyway.
Look up hubris in the dictionary and you see a picture of the MS Board-of-Directors.
Windows 7 = Vista SP2
Every time Balmer opens his mouth, he sticks his foot in and makes a complete ass out of himself and the company. Of course the adoption rate is twice that of XP. They are ONLY selling computers with Vista on it. They aren't counting all the computers that are having Vista wiped off and XP installed before it ever leaves. What an utter ass this man is.
WHAT THE FUCK?
MacNN - YOU REALLY NEED TO REVAMP YOUR WEBSITE SO THAT MAC ONLY NEWS IS CONTAINED IN A MAC ONLY SECTION.
I don't come here to read about M$ shenanigans. I can go to almost any other tech news site to hear about how Ballmer is messing up the company.
I come here to get away from that crap and skim thru Mac-related information.
Don't give a DAMN about Ballmer.
Don't give a DAMN about M$.
Either revamp your site so that ikt's not Mac Centered or compartamentalize your site better.