Brisk Windows 7 sales show Microsoft has 'put Vista behind it,' still rules OS roost.
Microsoft weathered the storm of Windows Vista, 2007's often-abused operating system, an analyst said today after reviewing the company latest earnings.
"At this point it appears Microsoft has put Vista behind it," said Allan Krans, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "People may not have been happy with it, but there were limited choices. For consumers, Vista was the default, and for businesses, they may have delayed buying new machines, but they will still pay Microsoft at some point."
Microsoft's financial performance for its fiscal third quarter, which ended March 31, and the fueling of its earnings by
Windows 7, makes his point that the company's survived the dark days of Vista, Krans continued. "The best case scenario for Microsoft was to retain its leadership position, and results indicate it's done just that," he said. "It speaks to the power of the market for Windows."
On Thursday,
Microsoft reported net income of $4.01 billion, up 35% over the same period the year before, on revenue of $14.5 billion, up 6%.
