“After five weeks of sluggish PC sales, retailers received a big boost during the first week of Vista’s launch, according to a report released Thursday by Current Analysis,” Dawn Kawamoto reports for CNET News.
Kawamoto reports, “PC unit sales soared 173 percent at U.S. retail stores during the week ended February 3, compared with PC sales in the previous week, according to the report. Current Analysis also noted that during Vista’s debut week PC unit sales rose 67 percent compared with the same period a year ago. Computers loaded with Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista, made their debut during a midnight celebration January 29, but initial reports found interest paled in comparison with launches of previous versions of Windows.”
“The report also found that demand was higher for PCs with the more expensive version of the new operating system,” Kawamoto reports.
Kawamoto reports, “Notebooks loaded with Vista Home Premium accounted for 76 percent of all notebook PC sales, while Vista Home Basic represented only 16 percent, according to the report. It also noted that Vista Home Premium notebooks carried an average sales price of $863, while the Home Basic notebook version had an average sales price of $616.
Kawamoto reports, “‘Microsoft is pleased with the initial response to Windows Vista,’ a company representative said in an e-mail.”
MacDailyNews Take: We have to wonder what was happening at the Apple Stores. Once the early adopters fall out of the way and the vast majority see some of these scathing Vista reviews, will Microsoft and the box assemblers remain pleased with the response?
Kawamoto continues, “Desktops also experienced a bigger demand for premium versions of Vista, but the gap was not as wide. Vista Home Premium desktops accounted for 59 percent of all desktop PC sales, while Home Basic desktops garnered 33 percent. The report is based on unit sales from five major retailers: Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Staples and Radio Shack.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We expected nothing less.* There’s nothing more reliable than the lemmings mindlessly following each other over the cliff.
*We actually expected much more. Microsoft and the Windows PC box assemblers should be concerned. Comparing PC sales to the week before the launch of a new OS to the first week’s sales is supposed to signify what, exactly, the raging success that is Windows Vista? Puleeze.
Related articles:
Forbes: ‘Windows Vista utterly unimaginative, internally discordant and woefully out of tune’ – February 09, 2007
Wow: Microsoft’s Windows Vista already hacked – February 09, 2007
Computerworld: Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 08, 2007
Windows sufferer spends six hours trying to ‘upgrade’ to Vista, says: ‘I should’ve bought a Mac’ – February 07, 2007
Windows Vista woes push BBC News editor to regret never having ‘defected’ to Apple Mac – February 06, 2007
Bill Gates unhinged with Apple envy; Microsoft on path to become high profile casualty – February 06, 2007
Apple takes dead aim at Microsoft’s Windows Vista in latest ‘Get a Mac’ ad (with video) – February 06, 2007
Digit: Don’t buy Vista; Microsoft may be driving millions to stick with XP or move to Apple Mac – February 05, 2007
Bill Gates has lost his mind: calls Apple liars, copiers; slams Mac OS X security vs. Windows – February 02, 2007
TIME Magazine: Microsoft’s Windows Vista ‘an embarassment to the good name of American innovation’ – February 02, 2007
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Five years for a chrome-plated turd – January 30, 2007
Those unfamiliar with Apple’s Mac OS X may be impressed with Windows Vista – January 29, 2007
Digit: ‘Microsoft’s Windows Vista may be the best reason yet to buy an Apple Mac’ – January 29, 2007
Pioneer Press: Windows Vista shows ‘Apple is an innovation engine; Microsoft, not so much’ – January 29, 2007
Windows Vista disappoints, so get a Mac – January 29, 2007
Microsoft emails reveal serious Mac OS X Tiger envy – January 26, 2007
Analyst: Microsoft’s Windows Vista could be an opportunity for Apple – January 26, 2007
CNET Reviews Windows Vista: Is that all? Clunky and not very intuitive vs. Mac OS X; warmed-over XP – January 24, 2007
Mossberg: Microsoft’s Windows Vista offers lesser imitations of Apple’s Mac OS X features – January 18, 2007
Windows Vista disappointment drives longtime ‘Microsoft apologist’ to Apple’s Mac OS X – January 17, 2007
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Looks, Locks, Lacks’ – December 14, 2006
Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard will create no new jobs – December 12, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Harvard Medical School CIO picks Mac OS X over Linux and Windows – November 30, 2006
Apple Macs can run more software than Windows PCs – October 30, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is 64-bit done right, unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista kludge – August 14, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
As posted by niker on the ArsTechnica discussion over this news item:
“Ok, I’ll try to explain why people are saying those numbers can be misleading (please note, I’m not saying that the numbers are wrong, just that using only that kind of percentage can’t tell a lot about the real performance of computer sales).
Take this example with very low numbers:
2006 (I’m assuming that the same number of pcs has been sold since there is not real Vista launch):
week corresponding to the 2007’s 2 weeks before Vista launch: 100 pcs sold
week corresponding to the 2007’s week before Vista launch: 100 pcs sold
week corresponding to the 2007’s week after Vista launch: 100 pcs sold
TOTAL: 300 pcs sold
2007
2 weeks before Vista launch: 72 pcs sold (people start waiting for Vista)
week before Vista launch: 61 pcs sold (people is waiting for Vista)
week after Vista launch: 167 pcs sold
TOTAL: 300 pcs sold
Now, comparison between week before Vista launched and the week after is around 173%. And comparison with the same period last year is +67%. But considering a 3 week span, there was in both cases 300 pcs sold.
I understand this is just an example and Vista is for sure in some way driving a growth in pcs sales.
But those numbers just can’t prove it.”
These numbers are meaningless without knowing the actual volume, as Niker’s example clearly shows.
Units sold in the last weeks of January are, I imagine, low in general–post Christmas/sales, and pre-paycheque. I know that the shop I worked in was dead during mid-late Jan. Of course sales picked up at the end, and into early February–people got paid!
I’ve had 4 people so far ask me about buying a new machine with Vista on it. In all 4 cases it’s turning into an act of desparation because their XP machines have turned into worthless pieces of junk. Not the ‘oh, I’ve been wanting this for so long (Wow)’ but the ‘please God will this keep my kid from screwing up the machine.’
@NewType
Spot on. These numbers are meaningless.
Remember that Zune jumped to number 2 in the first week of sales, but quickly fell back to number 5.
The numbers that really count are the financial results at the end of this quarter. And I suspect they are going to be pretty awful.
In the meantime, expect to see headlines such as:
“PC retailers report disappointing sales in the wake of Vista problems”
“Vista sales stall following scathing press reports”
“Microsoft ‘happy’ with Vista sales to date”
“Retail stores report increased interest in Apple Mac as consumers resist high priced Vista”
“Corporate users report little interest in Vista deployment”
“More senior managers depart Redmond”
Whatever happens in the short term, the underlying malaise at Microsoft cannot fail to have an impact. If Vista is a pig, then no amount of lipstick will disguise that fact.
The PC market is not sentimental. The PC is a tool for home or business and if users dont like it, sales will stall.
And this time there is an alternative – the Mac.
Perhaps Apple will have to appoint some further new manufacturers…
Gates says: windows is hacked every day. I’m a total Mac fan, but is there any truth to Gates’ comment?
Only a 173% increase considering the so called pent up demand is actually quite low. Lets wait and see next week’s numbers before claiming this is any kind of a trend.
If Windows-using customers were better-informed computer users, instead of “lemmings,” that number should have been much higher. Why? Because they should have stopped buying PCs with Windows XP to wait for the ones with Windows Vista coming in one week. The fact that the number was only 173% comparing the week before Vista and after Vista shows the lack of interest and excitement from consumers in general.
Actually, perhaps Windows-using customers are better informed than I imagine, and a significant number of them wanted a new computer with Windows XP instead of Vista.
correction: The Mac has been an alternative for many years. But this time the Mac is PERCEIVED as a viable alternative by the market at large. Many more consumers will weigh up the alternatives and choose Mac this time.
Anaknipedro: No. What Gates said is that the Macintosh is broken every day by hackers and that Vista wasn’t being broken once a month. Gates was obviously in high Bagdad Bob mode that day.
Those must be Mac users running windows under bootcamp or virtualization software….
I think you could call these people the early adopters and those who just wanted to replace their machines. It does actually blow apart the myth that you don’t need to buy a whole new PC just to upgrade the OS.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />(Cheesy grin)
My heart goes out to all the vista owner..
I have helped a lot people with their crappy Windows,
I won’t be available to help out this time.
I am using Mac
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
They’ll be crying in their pretzels.. poor sods.
Apple should be have been releasing Leopard by now.
Too slow, too slow.
I guess it is to fine tune it so Apple´s can run Vista better.
Re: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Will be announced at the WWDC keynote is June 11th (still spring).
10.4.9 some time between now and then.
Just an educated guess.
“Leopard’s not done ’til Vista’s just dung.
I, for one, will be ticked if I have to wait till june for Leopard. Enough with the cat names too. It’s time to revamp everything and give us some freaking reason to buy a new Mac. The entire 2007 has been void of any reason to buy new. Apple has dropped the ball big time so far. I want Leapord no later than April, or I’m going to be pissed.
The correct way to measure this is by measuring the launch of XP, and Win95 on a per-captita basis.
Then one would see how the OS launch effected PC sales on a level % playing field.
Vista will be the absolutely worst launch thus far – by a mile.
We’re doomed, doomed I say. The market has spoken and it cannot lie. It’s all over now.
Painful is watching an utterly clueless PC sales drone try to explain Vista to an equally hopeless PC buyer.
I literally pull my hair out, wanting to scream “Morons! Get to the Apple store and switch yourselves to something that works.”.
There’s gotta be a nicer way of convincing people on the spot…
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will be announced at the WWDC keynote on June 11th (still spring).
(post posting edit)
But Time Machine will make it seem like now.
WOW!
Is that all?
The more optimistic rumors point to a 3/24 Leopard ship date. That’s the last I heard, anyway.
As for the PC sales numbers, I’d like to see a graph of PC sales for each of the last 5 years over a 6 month term around this date. That way, Christmas surges, January lulls, pent-up demand and the resulting sales spike could be analyzed in a broader context.
I saw a chart for Zune sales that looked great the first week. Months later, those good times looked like a tiny little inverted ‘v’ on a long flat line. I can’t wait to see a Zune sales vs. iPhone sales chart side by side in a year.
I might have to frame that.
-c
MW: ‘costs’ (more to pay less)
The last week of January is probably one of the worst for PC sales, coming off the holiday buying spree and credit card shock setting in.
Bill helped kill the electronics holiday season cause after 5 years he still couldn’t get his vaporware finally out in time for holiday buying spree.
173 % increase of traditionally dismal buying period coming off missed christmas shopping season ship date debacle-WOW, how lame.
Has it occurred to anyone just how much better Leopard is, feature-wise, than Vista, and there is still plenty we don’t know about Leopard? You KNOW they’ve got some good stuff to spring on us. Will it make us gasp like we did the first time we saw iPhone scrolling? Maybe not, but even if they released it just as I saw it previewed, it would still be epicly better than Vista is proving itself to be. Anything more than that just puts us that much further ahead.
-c
5 years of pent-up demand and this is the best they can do?!?!?