Microsoft says Windows 2000 sales brisk
REDMOND, Wash., March 2 (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) said on Thursday
that sales of Windows 2000 were ``significantly' higher than expected, shrugging off worries that it's new flagship
computer operating system would receive a lukewarm reception.
Around half-a-million copies of Windows 2000 had been sold through retail in the United States since its launch in
mid-February, Keith White, director of Windows marketing, told reporters at company headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
Those sales were mostly of the Windows 2000 Professional version for business desktop computers, and did not include software pre-installed by
computer makers, White said.
``Sales are actually going extremely well, much, much better than our expectations,' White said, but did not elaborate on how many copies Microsoft
had anticipated it would sell.
Microsoft launched Windows 2000 with much fanfare, having spent more than three years and $1 billion on its development, and calling it a
``bet-the-ranch' product for the company as it attempts to capture more of the lucrative business computing market.
But many analysts questioned whether Windows 2000 would catch on immediately, forecasting that most businesses would roll-out the new software
slowly, after it was proven in the marketplace and after Microsoft fixed bugs in the debut version.
Most consumers who bought through retail stores were from small or medium-sized businesses, or were computer enthusiasts who were simply eager to
have the latest software, White said.
He said the first service pack for Windows 2000 would be issued within four to six months, and dismissed reports that Windows 2000 contained tens of
thousands of problems.
``Right now we are not planning this massive service pack. The size of it right now is not that significant,' White said. He added that Microsoft was still
gathering data and feedback on possible bugs that could be addressed in the patch.
White also said that the next version of Windows for average consumers, called Windows Me, was on track to be released in the second half of this
year.
Microsoft would also issue a 64-bit version of Windows 2000 to coincide with the release of Intel Corp.'s (NasdaqNM:INTC - news) upcoming 64-bit
Itanium chip. The 64-bit technology processes data in bigger chunks, thus speeding up computing speed.
Intel is expected to release the Itanium by the end of this year. |
