Windows Vista Not Selling So Well

I'm shocked! Shocked, I say! Windows Vista, Microsoft's second-worst operating system ever (Windows Millennium is the all time cellar dweller) isn't exactly flying off the shelves. The numbers are positively grim: Compared to Windows XP's original release, Vista sold 59 percent fewer copies in its first week. (Because Vista is so ungodly expensive, sales in dollar volume is only 32 percent lower.)

That isn't just interesting, it's shocking. Not only would those be catastrophic numbers in a normal comparison, but XP was released six years ago. Think about how many more computers (and computer users) there are on the market today. There may be a bright side for Microsoft: New PC sales are up over 2006, reflecting the well-known truism that Vista doesn't run well on older hardware. However, Microsoft earns far less for OEM copies of Windows than it does for shrinkwrapped copies.

Still, Vista is selling better today than XP was last year, which is good news for the company: Its brand-new product is outselling an ancient one that everyone already owns. Analysts are also noting that businesses seem to be buying more copies of Vista than expected, and that Vista's high price should offset the lower unit sales to consumers. Great for Microsoft. Bad for you and me.

Oh, and if you're still wondering why people aren't lining up to get their paws on Vista, check out PC World's "Most Annoying Things" about it. It's pretty much dead-on with its analysis of what's broken... and I can think of a few things I'd like to add to that list myself.