Ballmer: Piracy to Blame For Slow Vista Sales

[Hairbautt]

Microsoft plans to step up antipiracy measures to bolster Vista sales

Microsoft didn't seem to have any problems with forecasted sales projections for Windows Vista when analysts were abuzz at the end of 2006. In late November, IDC projected that over 90 million copies of Windows Vista would ship in 2007 -- far outpacing the 67 million copies of Windows XP shipped during its first year on the market.

Now after slow initial sales of Windows Vista, Microsoft is saying that the analysts were "overly aggressive" with their sales projections. According to PC Advisor, Vista sales are off 60% compared to the 2001 launch of Windows XP. Revenue is also down by 23% so far with Vista's launch.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer repeatedly suggested that piracy is the reason why Vista is coming up short in sales. As a result, Ballmer feels that Microsoft must step up its antipiracy efforts to protect Vista sales worldwide. The move to stave off increases in pirate activity will no doubt affect the everyday users of Microsoft's operating systems. "We [will] really ferret through how far we can dial it up, and what that means for customer experience and customer satisfaction," said Ballmer.

"Piracy reduction can be a source of Windows revenue growth, and I think we'll make some piracy improvements this year," Ballmer continued. "We will have strong growth in the Windows business in emerging markets: China, India, Brazil, Russia and many others. Those markets are very high in piracy."

Microsoft is no stranger to piracy and Bill Gates recently had a front row seat when boastful Romanian President Traian Basescu proclaimed that "[Piracy] set off the development of the IT industry in Romania... It helped Romanians improve their creative capacity in the IT industry, which has become famous around the world."

A senior attorney for Microsoft also estimates that over 33% of all Microsoft software available worldwide is pirated.

Source: DailyTech

[NeoTheOne]

wasnt windows suppose to have super anti piracy preventions? Take that Microsoft!

[GepperRankins]

of course, taunting pirates and overcharging has nothing to do with anything

[thewizeard]

They could also admit to it being a flop..

[Broken]

HA HA! LOL!

I could have a pirated copy of Vista in under 30 minutes. But I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

Piracy has nothing to do with lackluster sales of Vista. If it was even a good OS, it doesn't even have to be the advance in computing that M$ claims it is, Vista would be flying off the shelf.

Instead it's full of bugs, plagued by lack of drivers, and above all else it is the overkill on DRM that is killing Vista. Not to mention, that unless you plan on doing some major upgrades to the average computer - the major selling point of the OS, the eye candy, is totally voided.

[Virtualbody1234]

I think Microsoft has made a big mistake.

On the day of the release all the big stores (Bestbuy, Futureshop etc.) took out XP and replaced it with Vista. Even all the laptops and computers had only Vista available. Force it down our throats why don't you.

I think that XP is still better than Vista right now and may always be. We'll see...

For now they're even losing sales of XP. No wonder piracy is happening.

[reachnet]

Who ******* cares ???
They're just a faceless bereaucratic money-machine.
Satan put em' on this planet to **** over everyone else.
Enough of this Sith shit.
"I'll never turn to the dark-side." You've failed your Highness - I'm a Jedi like my father before me".
Where my ******* Linux !

[TheFoX]

Many computer suppliers are still offering XP as an alternative to Vista, for those that want it.

The real reason for the failure is probably linked to the negative press Vista has received. DRM and Microsofts own control system, which means that they, not the user, decides what can and cannot be run, is probably the biggest deciding factor for most. No one would wish to install software, or hardware, only for Vista to refuse to service it.

If I install hardware, and the drivers, I don't mind Windows telling me that it isn't certified, but to refuse to run it completely takes away my choice. The even bigger bugbear for me is that Microsoft could disable any bit of hardware globally, and my graphics card could stop working instantly. I would prefer that choice to be mine, and not someone somewhere who's main aim is to drive up profits...

[digmen1]

And if I want to buy a full copy (not an upgrade) of Vista Ultimate its about the same price as a brand new PC.

That is ridiclous !

But I do feel genueinly sorry for Microsoft because people will try to get something for nothing even if the retail price is only a few dollars.

Regards

Digby
NZ

[Hairbautt]

I think that XP is still better than Vista right now and may always be. We'll see...

Compatibility. COMPATIBILITY, that is all I care about (as a consumer); which is getting harder and harder for all the advances in hardware & software.

Eventually, compatibility will essentially be lost into another 'generation of technology', so to speak. I remember reading how Vista is bloated full of code to, at least, maintain a degree of compatibility.

M$ codename Vienna, I think IMO (too early to tell really), will be...well...completely new. Completely Next-Gen, I hope.

I kinda sympathize with M$ tho', because it's hard to advance the overall standard of technology.