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January 7th, 2008

About those 100 million Vista licenses...

Posted by Ed Bott @ 5:33 pm

Categories: Windows Vista

Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista, Spokesperson, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Ed Bott

In Focus » See more posts on: Vista

My colleague Mary Jo Foley reported earlier today on Microsoft’s claim that it has sold 100 million retail copies of Windows Vista. During Bill Gates’ keynote address last night I heard him say, “I’m pleased to say that we’ve got over 100 million people using Vista now.”

That’s a stretch.

I tracked down a Microsoft spokesperson today who was just as surprised as I was to hear that sentence coming from the keynote stage. The spokesperson confirmed for me that those 100 million copies represent licenses, not confirmed users. And the total includes copies sold through all channels, including those preinstalled on OEM computers, copies sold as retail upgrades or full packaged product (FPP), and volume licenses sold to corporate customers.

Some of those copies are on retail shelves now, either in shrink-wrapped boxes or in PCs waiting to be sold. And there’s no telling which OS is in use for the millions of corporate licenses in the mix, which in most cases grant the right to install Windows XP or Vista.

Ed BottEd Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 128 Talkback(s)
Deep thinking...
So there are more cars in use made from 2000-2006 then cars made in 2007. That must mean that the older cars are better because more people are driving them. Hilarious logic there.... (Read the rest)
Posted by: CheezHead59 Posted on: 02/01/08 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
All of that may be true, but  Arthas | 01/07/08
my two cents....  redtrain65 | 01/07/08
Office Fix  b.bob | 01/08/08
The inevitability of an upgrade...  SpikeyMike | 01/08/08
Is that you Mike Cox?  D. T. Schmitz | 01/07/08
He's right (NT)  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Is he?  Laff | 01/08/08
Point taken. (NT)  ju1ce | 01/08/08
We'll see  JDThompson | 01/07/08
You aren't the norm (NT)  ju1ce | 01/08/08
He's probably closer than you think.  bjbrock | 01/08/08
I agree  Badgered | 01/08/08
They know that...  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Depends on if they are replacing it with Xp or Linux.  Laff | 01/08/08
XP or Linux makes no difference  b.bob | 01/08/08
I disagree...  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Not quite  Badgered | 01/08/08
Low-end PCs  frgough | 01/08/08
You're adding XP to the mix.  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Wrong?  JDThompson | 01/08/08
Well I would like to hear from you what their response is ????  mrOSX | 01/09/08
yea right most people don't even know how to replace the os  SO.CAL Guy | 01/08/08
Motivation....  thungurknifur | 01/14/08
Motivation? Can you eat it?  CheezHead59 | 02/01/08
Probably not!  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Any facts to support your venture? (nt)  ye | 01/08/08
It is irrelevant to me  bportlock | 01/08/08
shenanigans.  rtk | 01/08/08
No shenanigans here....  bportlock | 01/08/08
Currently XP is winning, you should check the numbers....  mrOSX | 01/08/08
Actaully not  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
You can play all the numbers you want....  mrOSX | 01/09/08
The current snapshot doesn't matter. The trends do.  CobraA1 | 01/09/08
And my statment was...  mrOSX | 01/09/08
They have already pulled the plug  CobraA1 | 01/09/08
Deep thinking...  CheezHead59 | 02/01/08
Vista was also released relatively recently.  CobraA1 | 01/08/08
How much did Ballmer pay you to say that...  hasta la Vista, bah-bie | 01/09/08
Hmmmmm  thungurknifur | 01/14/08
Vista usage: check the browser logs  Scott Braden | 01/07/08
What version of Mac?  GuidingLight | 01/08/08
Irrelevant.  frgough | 01/08/08
Not quite...  Wolfie2K3 | 01/09/08
Its all the same.  Chustar | 01/07/08
Personal insults are a part of ZDNet...  bjbrock | 01/08/08
Still a problem for Microsoft though  voska1 | 01/08/08
Well...  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Than again.  b.bob | 01/08/08
That's my point  voska1 | 01/08/08
Not really a problem..  ju1ce | 01/08/08
Really a problem...  binaryspiral | 01/08/08
Read My Lips ....  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Yes there are  voska1 | 01/08/08
No there isn't!  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Give break  voska1 | 01/08/08
You are talking Vista only being ....  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Console game don't work on PCs  voska1 | 01/08/08
Which is it?  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
So which is what?  voska1 | 01/08/08
Nice try but very transparent  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
How long  voska1 | 01/08/08
Faultu analysis.  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Hence the reason I said minor  voska1 | 01/08/08
10 % of the world in the first year is not a problem.  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Do you understand what minor means?  voska1 | 01/08/08
Nice try at changing the subject.  ShadeTree | 01/09/08
10%? Somebody really needs to check their math...  jasonp@... | 01/09/08
Worlds population of computers.  ShadeTree | 01/09/08
Man you're a ********* Shadetree!  thungurknifur | 01/14/08
Thank you, Ed Bott  TechExec2 | 01/08/08
But then you and Ed have ....  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Isn't this  Yagotta B. Kidding | 01/08/08
We have volume licensing for Vista  voska1 | 01/08/08
How large a volume?  b.bob | 01/08/08
Not really sure of the exact number  voska1 | 01/08/08
PS: We are planning on upgrading  voska1 | 01/08/08
volume size  tstowell@... | 01/08/08
Volume licenses where I work: ~ 2,800  TranMan | 01/08/08
Sorry, but there are no Microsoft Faithful  Rob Oakes | 01/08/08
As Bad as Vista is.. Maybe you remember XP  nucrash | 01/08/08
Happened with DOS too  voska1 | 01/08/08
Recently had to install 98  alanh@... | 01/08/08
So, basically what your saying is that....  High Sierra | 01/08/08
Just read that article..  Ben_E | 01/08/08
Microsoft loves puppy kickers  Ole Man | 01/10/08
lol  Ben_E | 01/11/08
I bet that includes all corporate Licensing groups too...  BitTwiddler | 01/08/08
MS inflation  Monkeypox | 01/08/08
We've heard that before.  b.bob | 01/08/08
If only 100 million copies sold in 2007...  mrOSX | 01/08/08
Ed, What Do You Think Of This Little Slip?  itanalyst | 01/08/08
That should *not* be allowed!!  techboy_z | 01/08/08
Can I order a mac without OS X?  rtk | 01/08/08
Man throwing stones in a glass house are we?  Laff | 01/08/08
Where can you buy a PC without an OS ??  mrOSX | 01/08/08
Almost any computer store...  olePigeon | 01/08/08
I want to buy a computer not parts...  mrOSX | 01/08/08
come on  Gardul | 01/08/08
I was responding to his post...  mrOSX | 01/08/08
Got to any small computer shop  voska1 | 01/08/08
My posts have been directed mainly @ rtk...  mrOSX | 01/09/08
Why Windows Boxes are cheaper...  Wolfie2K3 | 01/09/08
Here is a link to Pricewatch  SpikeyMike | 01/08/08
No, but the OS is free...  olePigeon | 01/08/08
They have been doing this since the DOS days....  mrOSX | 01/08/08
Dr Dos  Gardul | 01/08/08
Speaking of DR DOS...  SpikeyMike | 01/08/08
They also pulled the same trick on OS/2 for  mrOSX | 01/09/08
RE: About those 100 million Vista licenses...  ccato | 01/08/08
RE: About those 100 million Vista licenses...  wellduh | 01/08/08
Future "sales" included  wellduh | 01/08/08
They're OEM licenses  Al S Cook | 01/08/08
I've noticed a trend WRT Vista...  SpikeyMike | 01/08/08
XP good enough  wellduh | 01/08/08
Not true for business  SpikeyMike | 01/08/08
RE: About those 100 million Vista licenses...  Ginevra | 01/08/08
If you buy into there being about 1 billion ...  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Geeks Need not to comment about Vista  Richard B | 01/08/08
Yeah, But If Mom Knew  itanalyst | 01/08/08
Message has been deleted.  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
For business  voska1 | 01/08/08
Not true either.  ShadeTree | 01/08/08
Vista on my notebook  Richard B | 01/08/08
Despite what everyone says - vista has problems that xp did not  bicard | 01/08/08
Absolutely right ...  david@... | 01/09/08
Exactly  John Musbach | 01/08/08
Thanks Ed. Now lets get down to it.  Solid Jedi Knight | 01/15/08
Vista causes an array of problems  Ole Man | 01/18/08

What do you think?

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