By Gemma Simpson, 3 October 2007 08:13
NEWS
Windows Vista is failing to attract business users, with sales of PCs preloaded with the corporate version of Microsoft's latest OS slowing.
Sales of PCs pre-installed with Vista Business accounted for 13 per cent of unit PC sales among European IT distributors in August 2007 - down from 17 per cent in the previous month - according to IT market researcher Context.
Twice as many PCs with Windows XP Professional - the operating system being replaced by Vista Business were sold compared to Vista Business in August 2007, with XP Pro accounting for 27 per cent of PC sales.
But XP Pro also saw poor growth, with August's figures down by four per cent compared to the previous month, the Context research reveals.
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A Microsoft spokeswoman told silicon.com that Vista is on track to be the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft's history across a broad range of customers, "from the individual user and the small business to the largest enterprise customer".
Microsoft recently announced it would continue selling PCs preloaded with its previous OS, Windows XP, for five months longer than originally planned but maintained Vista sales are still going strong.
Vista Business launched on 30 November 2006, closely followed by the consumer rollout on 30 January 2007.
Comments
There are 6 comments. Join the discussion
1. David Fletcher
Obviously they're too busy designing stupid electronic bar room tables that you can't get your knees under, to find time to develop an operating system that people actually want to use.
2. anonymous
Since both IBM and Dell PC's vith Vista is sold cheaper with Vista than with XP, I wonder how many of the alledged 60 Mill copies Microsoft really has SOLD at retail price.
I'd frankly not be surpriced to find that the earnings on Vista is only a very small fraction of what it would be at retail price...
3. Graham Coles
Vista 'on track to be the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft's history' ?
Seemingly Microsoft is now being run by General Melchard:
'If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.'
4. Assie
So all of those reports highlighting that Vista has had significantly lower sales than XP in the same post-release period are just an anomaly of reporting, we're to presume. Otherwise it would seem to indicate that XP is their fastest-seller of all time.
Considering Microsoft stated that sales were slow because "most sales are on pre-loaded machines" and that those sales are also starting to tail off, their gleeful optimism that "it'll still work, WE KNOW IT WILL!" is sort of tragically amusing.
5. Jay C
meanwhile apples market share is up.
the gigs up m$
6. Rob Anderson
I'm not sure how M$ account for these things, but might it be possible that they are including all those[sad, misguided] customers who buy into Software Assurance are included, since they have had the right to install Vista since November last year?
I say had the right, because I'm seeing many of them doing it, and am seeing an increasing number turning their backs on Microsoft's expensive Volume Licensing contracts.
Rob The Liberator