Vista sells 140 million copies

[Hurmoth]

Vista sales "rapid" at 140m copies

Microsoft chair Bill Gates today noted at a European news conference that sales of Windows Vista have reached 140 million copies worldwide. The update is the first since the company crossed the 100 million mark at the start of the new year, although Gates doesn't clarify when the company reached the newer threshold. This demonstrates that Vista continues to sell at a "very rapid" rate, according to the Microsoft co-founder.

If tracked between January and April, the number represents about 10 million copies of Vista sold per month in the first third of 2008 and signals a slight increase in the sales rate for the operating system, which averaged at just over 9 million copies sold per month in 2007. However, the sales rate is half that of the Windows update's initial results in the first two months of its launch, when it sold as many as 20 million copies per month to cater to early demand.

Most of Microsoft's Vista sales are commonly thought to stem from licenses for new computers as part of users' regular upgrade cycles rather than interruptions spurred by specific demand for the new OS. Last year, Vista was pre-installed on less than half of all new PCs despite being on sale for all but one month.

Gates' positive outlook for Vista comes as Dell and Lenovo have both said they would continue selling Windows XP past its June 30th sales cut-off date as a response to business customers, many of whom have demanded the six-year-old software remain in place to avoid compatibility problems with business software and while performance requirements remain high for the refreshed Windows platform. Microsoft has already pledged to continue supporting XP for very low-cost notebooks until 2010.

[MulletRobZ]

So what? These sales figures fail to disclose how many of those 140 million copies are still in use, especially since quite a few people went back to XP.

[x-byte]

Why does it matter? Sales numbers are sales numbers.

[spenser.d]

So what? These sales figures fail to disclose how many of those 140 million copies are still in use, especially since quite a few people went back to XP.

That's irrelevant, as Microsoft still made the money off those 140 million and money is what keeps them in business. Even if they reverted back to XP, they're still using a Microsoft operating system.

-Spenser

[chconline Veteran]

I know I'm using it. :D

[zerologic]

140m Beta Testers.

Proof? Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program

[spenser.d]

Umm, Microsoft has been including the Customer Experience Program in all their software for about 5 years now.

-Spenser

[Eric Veteran]

140m Beta Testers.

Proof? Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program

I think it's a great idea. Bugs get fixed much more rapidly now. :) Besides, it's just fault monitoring and you can even redirect it to your own server. (Which your link explains.)

[zhangm Supervisor]

140m Beta Testers.

Proof? Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program

Its probably better and more useful than the average consumer e-mailing [email protected], screaming "Foxfire crashes, fix it now, microsuck!@22" Not to mention, other software uses this sort of thing, like Talkback in Mozilla products.

[zerologic]

Umm, Microsoft has been including the Customer Experience Program in all their software for about 5 years now.

-Spenser

It's a clever way of Microsoft fixing bugs and adding features to their products.

But essentially feels and sounds like <pause> Beta Testing. At least to me. :D

Perhaps for those customers who give feedback to Microsoft (through Customer Experience Improvement Program), a discount of 10% should be given on future purchases.

After all, *we're* assisting in making better more stable products (although, I wonder about Vista).

[Impact]

Yeah, we're basically helping ourselves by showing them what fixes need to be made. They shouldn't get a discount. It's a great idea though.

[gigapixels Veteran]

It's a clever way of Microsoft fixing bugs and adding features to their products.

But essentially feels and sounds like <pause> Beta Testing. At least to me. :D

Perhaps for those customers who give feedback to Microsoft (through Customer Experience Improvement Program), a discount of 10% should be given on future purchases.

After all, *we're* assisting in making better more stable products (although, I wonder about Vista).

Seriously? You're out of your mind. There's no way to make ANY software completely bug-free, so it's preposterous to say that it's beta testing when a consumer reports a bug they're having with their software.

[spenser.d]

Seriously? You're out of your mind. There's no way to make ANY software completely bug-free, so it's preposterous to say that it's beta testing when a consumer reports a bug they're having with their software.

Heh. That's not to mention that the consumer doesn't even have to do anything except check the box to participate in the Customer Experience Program - it does all the reporting by itself.

And it's more than bug testing - it's usage tracking so they can see what things they need to focus on when they build newer versions. I'm willing to bet that 'ribbons' in Office 2007 came somewhat out of data from CEP, and that's been pretty well received by just about everyone.

-Spenser

[Linkinfamous]

140m Beta Testers.

Proof? Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program

I would consider any software without proper crash feedback capabilities to be flawed. ESPECIALLY one that interacts heavily with unknown 3rd party code.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

So what? These sales figures fail to disclose how many of those 140 million copies are still in use, especially since quite a few people went back to XP.

LOL, that's not what the point of that topic is.

it's like saying GTA4 sold 1,000,000 copies, but how many people actually play it...

answer is, Who cares. They bought it, they can do what they want with it

[Somnus]

I know I'm using it. :D

Since I activated 139,999,999 copies.. you must be the other one... :)

[xankazo]

good for MS. they sure need the money. jk :)

[aussiefloyd_fan]

Im beginning to winder if its like 1,000 copies people bought or upgraded to........ then 139,999,000 copies bill gates bought to rack up some sales numbers then1 billion copies pirated and downloaded........... I was forcedon to vista after some software was no longer working in xp

[TonyLock]

Didn't Crapple claim that it was like "tens of dozens"?

[MMaster23]

That was a joke Tony ;)

140 mil already ... Vista is making good progress!

Way the go Vista! I'm loving this OS every day.

It's when I'm back on XP from time to time on shared computers that really notice just how much better and more refined Vista really is.

[ViperAFK]

LOL, that's not what the point of that topic is.

it's like saying GTA4 sold 1,000,000 copies, but how many people actually play it...

answer is, Who cares. They bought it, they can do what they want with it

I bought GTA4 and switched back to San Andreas

:laugh:

[Raa]

It's when I'm back on XP from time to time on shared computers that really notice just how much better and more refined Vista really is.

Man, feel sorry for ya! :p

Whenever i'm on a XP computer, I notice how much faster and more reliable it really is!

[Cara Veteran]

I'd love to see the breakdown of Upgrade/Retail versus OEM sales on this one, would present a more complete picture of the Adoption Rate of the new OS among existing users. Not disputing the numbers or that Vista is spreading like a bad plague, just that I think it'd be interesting to see who is buying Vista. :)

[MMaster23]

Man, feel sorry for ya! :p

Whenever i'm on a XP computer, I notice how much faster and more reliable it really is!

Vista runs just as fast / faster compared to XP on ALL my computers.

As to reliability .. apps rarely crash. The only funky thing is that when I F10 in CounterStrike .. It closes (like it should) but then I get a HL2.exe crashed box .. everytime.

Oh well .. I'm betting that one on Steam funkyness .. and that's also true on XP.

I know I sometimes sound biased but Vista just really works for me.

Perhaps it knows that I'm an MCTS on Vista and it behaves when I'm around.

PC's tend to do that .. a girlfriends notebook is always acting up .. unless I'm around haha.

Eye of the teacher as we always say..

[Slimy]

I'd love to see the breakdown of Upgrade/Retail versus OEM sales on this one, would present a more complete picture of the Adoption Rate of the new OS among existing users. Not disputing the numbers or that Vista is spreading like a bad plague, just that I think it'd be interesting to see who is buying Vista. :)

You know as well as I do that Microsoft isn't gonna do that. No company does it unless the numbers are ridiculously high. Apple hasn't said much since Leopard's release (one weekend's sales only); it's actually surprising that Microsoft has bothered to release Vista sales numbers three times. I guess they're just trying to prove that it isn't the failure the media is saying it is.