Microsoft’s new-generation Windows 7 operating system hit the ground running, with US sales in its opening days blasting past those of its Vista predecessor, the NPD Group said.
Sales of Windows 7 in the days following its Oct. 22 release were 234 percent higher than those posted by Vista when it was released, the market research firm reported on Thursday.
“Microsoft’s program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful,” NPD vice president of analysis Stephen Baker said.
“In a slow environment for packaged software, Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles,” he said.
Revenue from Windows 7 sales during its initial days in the market only surpassed Vista by 83 percent because of price discounts and a lack of promotion for an Ultimate version of the new operating system, NPD said.
The Windows 7 launch also gave a bump to PC sales, which nearly doubled from the previous week and were 49 percent higher than the same period a year earlier, but Vista’s launch gave PC sales a bigger boost, NPD said.
“A combination of factors impacted Windows 7 PC sales at the outset, but the trajectory of overall PC sales is very strong leading into the holiday season,” Baker said.
Microsoft’s much-heralded Windows 7 went on sale around the world last month as the US software giant rebooted after the disappointment of its previous generation operating system Vista.
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