Ballmer says Windows installed base will top a billion by the end of 2008

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer seems confident that the company is headed for a fairly big milestone in the near future, telling attendees at the company's analyst day meeting yesterday that he expects the Windows installed base to reach one billion by the end of fiscal year 2008. As Ballmer was quick to point out, that makes more PCs running Windows than there are automobiles in the world. In related news, Microsoft also announced that it's sold 60 million copies of Windows Vista this year, including those 40 million licenses sold in the first 100 days, although that obviously still only accounts for a small percentage of the total Windows installed base.

[Via Slashdot]

[Todd @ Jul 27th 2007 1:07PM]

Liar

[paloooz @ Jul 27th 2007 1:27PM]

I have 4 words for you:

Developers developers developers developers.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 27th 2007 1:35PM]

This is the most gangster shot of Ballmer yet- or should I say "Baller"

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 27th 2007 4:01PM]

http://developersdevelopers.com/

[Andrew @ Jul 27th 2007 1:11PM]

wonder if they count pirated copies

[Joe Smith @ Jul 27th 2007 9:14PM]

you know... come to think of it, pirating is good for microsoft. once everyone owns windows, even free ones, microsoft will finally kill apple.

[boe @ Jul 27th 2007 1:14PM]

Ballmer is pure evil and he can be stopped in our lifetime.

I'm not a mac fanboy
I'm not a PC fanboy

I don't have anything against MS per se but they have been churning out crap lately. I'm not saying Windows 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP were perfect but they weren't crap.

Recent crap releases by MS -
Vista
Zune
Exchange 2007 - (they forgot to include gui management - welcome back to dos/linux administration)
Office 2007 - not control of menus, no native picture support in access, only one outlook profile at a time
IE7 - nuff said
WM6 - BT stack is actually WORSE than WM5

Bring back Bill, bring back Bill!

[Jeff @ Jul 27th 2007 1:30PM]

Don't forget Windows ME and Microsoft Bob. Both terrible pieces of software. BTW, I run Vista and can't see why anyone is so upset over it.

[Derek @ Jul 27th 2007 1:33PM]

Why are you so anti ballmer? He didn't throw a chair at you, did he?

[paloooz @ Jul 27th 2007 1:33PM]

So basically what you said was:

"By the way, I run Vista because I don't know any better. Allow me to showcase my ignorance by stating that I don't see any problems."

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 27th 2007 1:52PM]

@palloozer

Seeing other peoples problems does not equal personal problems. I'm running Vista too, and it has performed wonderfully for me.

I don't see your logic. Because someone else has problems with Vista, everyone does? How about "because I don't have problems with Vista, nobody does." Identical.

Then again, life is meaningless to you, so it shouldn't matter whether or not an OS performs.

[roach @ Jul 27th 2007 2:02PM]

I been using Vista for over 7 months (beta and release)on my crappy laptop and loving it. I can't think of going back to XP. There lots of people who use and loves it.

[gecono @ Jul 27th 2007 2:15PM]

Hey Boe,

Not sure why you say the new BT stack in WM6 isn't any good. I have had just the opposite experience on my HTC Hermes with the semi-official WM6 ROM. Music sounds great now, much better than previous A2DP implementation.

Also, I have even written some code using BT and have experienced an increase in data transfer rates as well as overall system robustness (i.e. no lockups, etcs.).

Please explain how you came to your conclusion.

[Harry Wagstaff @ Jul 27th 2007 2:48PM]

Technically Macs fall under the umbrella of 'Personal Computer', seeing as they're designed to be used by one person at a time and are computers (well, almost), but that's just me being pedantic.

Though the obsession with quantity is worrying (as pointed out by another comment), generally large quantity sales happen either because the product is well marketed (which, frankly, no computer products are really. Have you seen those UK Intel adverts? Ugh.) or because it's good. Since most people are like 'uuugghhh Windows' because of bugs, I make the following statement:

I would say that, in my experience, no Microsoft software is any more buggy than any other large-scale modern software (games, apps, tools, etc.).

[michael @ Jul 27th 2007 4:06PM]

About some of your so called failures:

Vista - I admit, not too much a change over XP, but it's still awesome, and running on high-end hardware, it's great.

Zune - There are many Zune fanatics out there. And Zune has some of the features iPod doesn't have. Most people have never actually 'tried' a Zune to really get something out of it.

Office 2007 - Are you kidding? This is like the best quality office suite out there. If you can't figure out the UI, you must really be a dummy. Most of your reasons are really petty - little stuff anyone could complain about

IE7 - I admit, not too outstanding, but huge thing over IE6, and it performs better than FireFox in many areas. Phishing filter, extreme security in Vista, better tab features, other stuff. It can be extended anyway just like FireFox too. The people who really hate it, either are average not-so-smart users, and developers. IE8 will be sure to fix that.

WM6 - Did you hear many people wanting it? New looks, new features, any Windows Mobile fan loves it. Most people don't know it, but Windows Mobile provides a better phone OS than most other ones. In terms of functionality.

You forgot to mention some stuff coming from Microsoft Research that's really making a hit across the web: Popfly (big thing over Yahoo! Pipes), Silverlight (better than Flash), PhotoSynth (changes the way we view pictures), DeepFish (better internet browsing than anything), and a bunch of other cool Microsoft things like Xbox, and so-on.

So Microsoft being a failure is in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, mis-information seems to get to the public real quick.

[fahnboi @ Jul 27th 2007 4:37PM]

@michael

i was on the fence about vista, but your proclamation that it's "great" has really shown me the light. and what's with the "Windows Mobile fan loves it"? actually, you're right, there's gotta be some fan of WM out there somewhere, and yeah, (s)he probably loves it.

[michael @ Jul 27th 2007 5:10PM]

@fahnboi: Considering how most users describe OS X (virus-free, just works, easy-to-use), it's not any better than saying Windows Vista is great.

Considering that Macs do get viruses (and Apple patches it at a slower rate than MS), Windows actually works too, and Windows is as easy-to-use as it gets. And I happen to love both PC's and Macs. I just can't stand the lies about each side.

And about WM - You'd be surprised to know how many people prefer WM over Palm and others. There's been recent articles about how WM is becoming a hot and trendy phone OS. Like Samsung BlackJack and T-mobile Dash? WM is well liked because of the functionality it offers. Now if only they made WM phone screens bigger...

[hobbes @ Jul 27th 2007 6:20PM]

@michael

"Considering that Macs do get viruses (and Apple patches it at a slower rate than MS)"??? I've seen one virus in the wild for OS X, and it required you to open the file. Apple got a fix for it together fairly quickly. There are proof of concept viruses, yes, but they're not actually a threat to anyone, and thus Apple doesn't really have to panic and patch ASAP, they have time to figure out a less-rushed solution. But if you've seen Macs getting viruses, by all means, share. I've never encountered one in all my years of OS X, and I'd think it would be big news, like the first ever wild virus that I mentioned was.

[mattstl77 @ Jul 27th 2007 1:29PM]

Even with their less than perfect products, they are still quite better than the competition.

Well...the Zune is a flop.

What about Vista do you not like? Is it because you don't know how to use it? It is different from XP but you have to know use it the way it is meant to be used.

Try Vista for Dummies...

[bob @ Jul 27th 2007 1:43PM]

The Zune isn't a flop. A product that moves a million units is not a flop; it's a platinum album. Note that I'm not saying that it's a great product or that Microsoft is the BEST THING GOING... TODAY!! - I'm just playing Devil's advocate.

[boe @ Jul 27th 2007 1:54PM]

I'm pretty sure I know how to use it as I've been supporting IT for over 20 years including consulting for some of the largest Universites including their own Computer Science departments.

Vista has a problem with file copy, moves, access that is well documented. It is NOT a drive issue, it is NOT an indexing issue although since that is poorly implemented if you leave it on it WILL slow down your performance further, it is NOT a networking issue as the issue occurs even on local disk copies. This is well documented and current belief is that this may be a result of the DRM game MS is playing these days.

I've verified it quickly after I discovered the issue by setting up several PCs of identical makes to each other (different brands and models one vista, one XP each with a matching twin using the other OS) all with all the latest patches, drivers etc, turned off indexing, firewalls, antivirus, every extra available and file transfer is random as to size and quantity of file copies. MS took 5 months to admit they had the problem - I reported it as soon as Vista came out and they insisted that it had to be a firewall, driver, or other issue I hadn't optimized on my end - only after thousands of similar posts by journalists did MS even look into the issue. MS had to know about this when they released the defective product but wanted to make the release date.

[Ryan @ Jul 27th 2007 2:22PM]

@bob:

Do you know anyone with a Zune? I don't.

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Jul 27th 2007 3:14PM]

@ Ryan

Doesnt mean its a flop. Do you know anyone with a 360? I dont.

[michael @ Jul 27th 2007 4:35PM]

@Ryan: Exactly. Not that you're right.

If people continue to think that iPod's are the only good PMP's (portable music player) out there, then the public will continue to use iPods. If the whole slogan "It just works fine for me" seems to be common when iPod users are asked why they prefer it. It's started to be the American fad to own an iPod (because they were the first of it's kind), and so people just thought they just 'had' to get one.

Sadly, that means most people are not willing to try something new, or even take a 2nd glance at anything that could be better. Now the Zune doesn't make a real ideal iPod switcher, but it does have some of the stuff that hasn't been available in iPods for so long. WiFi, FM Radio, larger screen, etc. You may not use some of it, but better than no feature at all.

I just want people to get it right. Most people aren't bothering with it, just because it's not 'cool', most people aren't even trying to like it, and they listen to reviews that could be as biased as anything.

[rip @ Jul 27th 2007 5:12PM]

Both the Zune and 360 are disappointments.

Don't kid yourself.

The Zune isn't even a player among wma daps. Yeah, they moved a million of them. The market sold about 50-60 million in the same time. That's a success?

The 360 has decent market share. But it is getting blown out of the water by the Wii. The 360 doesn't even outsell the PS2. How sad is that? And the real kicker is that the 360, like the xbox will NEVER be profitable. Microsoft has lost billions with that division.

I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the Wii. Guess they were wrong about that.

I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the iPod. Guess they were wrong about that.

I love how Ballmer and Microsoft blasted the iPhone a few months ago. Considering Apple will surpass Windows Mobile sales in about six months, I'm guessing they are wrong about that too. Windows Mobile is a distant 3rd, behind Symbian and Linux. They'll be 4th shortly.

See a pattern here?

This is what happens when your only qualification for CEO is being a college friend of Bill Gates.

Ballmer has no technical expertise. He has no management expertise. And he has no visionary expertise.

Vista will sell because of the installed Windows base. Same with Office. But not because the products are better or innovative. Microsoft is kind of like a toilet paper company now. You don't run out and buy the stuff because it is "new and improved." You buy it because you have a need and the product fills the need.

[fahnboi @ Jul 27th 2007 6:26PM]

@rip: TP! TP for my bunghole! BUNG hole!

[blackfeather @ Jul 27th 2007 1:30PM]

Now why can't they use all that money to write better software?

[GregGrunge @ Jul 27th 2007 1:39PM]

Or use all that money to come up with some original ideas and not rehashed 5-year old ones...

[Blake @ Jul 27th 2007 1:40PM]

Good God that guy is ugly.

[VibroKatana @ Jul 27th 2007 1:56PM]

Just try office 2007 and vista for 2 hours and see if you arn't pulling your hair out. Microsoft's apparent lack of standards leaves you scratching your head trying to figure out where things are.

I can barely stand using windows any more after being a primary freebsd and OSX user. You shouldn't have to read the entire program interface to see an obscure button, or dig through a menu thing that was hidden in an entirely obscure area.

Try browsing around in the filesystem in windows, Good God, Whoever designed it needs to have their balls torn off and thrown into a pillar of flame. I think I will go tear my eyes out if I see another vista machine.

[David Clark @ Jul 27th 2007 3:49PM]

Try "Microsoft Vista/Office for complete idiots"

Seriously. How hard is it to figure out a point-and-click interface? Just because you can't figure out "start" was replaced with a logo doesn't mean an operating system isn't any good.

I had no problem transitioning to the new office and Vista interface.

[Steve @ Jul 27th 2007 3:50PM]

Yep, having just finished my doctoral dissertation on it, I can attest to how crappy Office software can be if you are trying to write anything over a few pages (and yes, I know how to use quite a large portion of Word functionalities).

[JS @ Jul 27th 2007 4:25PM]

"Just try office 2007 and vista for 2 hours and see if you arn't pulling your hair out. Microsoft's apparent lack of standards leaves you scratching your head trying to figure out where things are."

I suppose that does explain why Ballmer looks like Uncle Fester.

[not one of them @ Jul 27th 2007 1:58PM]

And I'm glad to say I'm not one of them. Ha!

[Bobo @ Jul 27th 2007 2:14PM]

Over one billion served...

(to Windows owners: you just got served)

[Aaron @ Jul 28th 2007 2:07AM]

*boots up Vista and starts break dancing*

[classless @ Jul 27th 2007 2:16PM]

Steve Balmer comes off as such an insincere jackass that I don't believe a thing he says..

[Argot @ Jul 27th 2007 2:32PM]

Yeah. He's almost worse than Steve Jobs.

[Steve @ Jul 27th 2007 4:09PM]

@stxstu

Three out of how many people? I think roughly a quarter of people I see on regular basis have iPods, and absolutely no Zune. Most people who don't buy it usually buy some Korean branded players or are given some off-brand players as a gift.

I don't have anything against the machine, but people just aren't buying it around me (of course, I do agree that anecdotal evidence is weak, but hard numbers show the likelihood of one knowing someone with an iPod).

[stuxstu @ Jul 27th 2007 2:58PM]

Ryan

This may make you laugh, but I don't know abody with an IPod. I do know three with the Zune and I don't work for Microsoft.

Stu

[dudeInAmerica @ Jul 27th 2007 2:34PM]

Am I the only one who thinks he looks like the monster from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein

[Chicksta @ Jul 27th 2007 2:39PM]

I like the McDs analogy, because selling a lot of something (whatever it is) doesn't make it good. It seems that their priority is quantity, not quality. I don't really care how many they sell, sold, or have in use; I care if it's stable, if it works well, if it does what I need it to do. They've spread themselves so thin into any and every possible marketplace for no seemingly good reason other than the fact that they don't seem to be able to stand seeing anyone being a market leader other than themselves. Why do they need to make so much stuff? I'd love to see them worry more about the quality for a change. A billion tons of manure is still...

[GregGrunge @ Jul 27th 2007 6:27PM]

You raise an excellent point...

MicroSoft's strategy has always been to rush a product to market, make a million, or several billion dollars on it, and fix it later.

[cf @ Jul 27th 2007 2:47PM]

I can believe this...

It's only 100,000 call centers.

[roole @ Jul 27th 2007 3:06PM]

It did make me laugh. Thanks!

[Kizul Emeraldfire @ Jul 27th 2007 2:58PM]

That guy looks extremely evil in that pic.

…in fact, he almost resembles Dr. Evil to me. Anyone else think so?

[fahnboi @ Jul 27th 2007 4:27PM]

looks like a high school gym teacher from hell

[NHAnimator @ Jul 27th 2007 3:13PM]

A billion is an impressive number, but... how many are active?

Kinda like saying that there have been 13 billion people born in the world. (Yeah, but only 6 billion are breathing now.)

[GravitaZ @ Jul 27th 2007 3:19PM]

It would be 2 billion of you include Pirated copies :)

[David Clark @ Jul 27th 2007 3:21PM]

He looks just like Todd Packer in that picture.. Who has two thumbs and likes to..

But I digress. w00t! I love my Vista box. It's like a Mac, except I can actually do something useful with it . Unless you consider fueling my fantasy as a successful blogsmith while editing movies of my cat with a starwars cup on it's head as useful.

And.. resume Windows bashing..