Windows XP's Retail Sales Are Trailing Pace Set by Its Predecessor, Windows 98

Wall Street Journal ^ | Dec 19, 2001 | REBECCA BUCKMAN

[Bush2000]

Retail sales of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP product continue to lag behind sales of its predecessor, Windows 98, raising questions about whether the new software will help lift the personal-computer industry out of its doldrums, as many had hoped. Still, analysts don't expect the lackluster performance to crimp Microsoft's quarterly profit.

[Bush2000]

bump

[Mr. Jeeves]

Its predecessor is Windows 2000. Mentioning Windows 98 is an apples and oranges comparison.

[Bush2000]

Its predecessor is Windows 2000. Mentioning Windows 98 is an apples and oranges comparison.

Fact-checking is a dead art.

[gjenkins]

Did 2000 sell faster than 98?

[Timesink]

Still, analysts don't expect the lackluster performance to crimp Microsoft's quarterly profit.

That's cause Microsoft makes more money from Office than it does from its operating systems.

But there's no arguing the fact that there's just no compelling reason for the averge user, either at home or the office, to upgrade to WinXP unless they're still using something as old as Win95. Its new features are mostly spurious unless you're totally computer-clueless in the first place.

[Timesink]

Its predecessor is Windows 2000.

Not in the home market it isn't. Sure, home users could BUY Win 2000, but it was never aimed at them, marketed towards them, or priced towards them. If it were, there would have been no reason for WinME to ever exist.

[Bush2000]

But there's no arguing the fact that there's just no compelling reason for the averge user, either at home or the office, to upgrade to WinXP unless they're still using something as old as Win95. Its new features are mostly spurious unless you're totally computer-clueless in the first place.

Depends. If Win9x stability is an issue for some users, they probably want to consider it.

[billva]

Hey my computer crashed last week, I had a new one built and got it working yesterday. It has Windows XP and I really like it. If for no other reason that it is much more stable than either 98 or 95. I was constantly having programs crash and having to reboot. I was told this platform would be much more stable and so far it is.

Count me as a satisfied customer so far.

[newzjunkey]

It's obviously gotten SO bad that I just suffered a Windows XP commerial before suffering further through three looong hours of a certain movie... If they'd cut about 30, 40, 50 minutes (anywhere, I'm not particular, just cut it back!), it would have been a fine film.

While I'm at it, Edwards theatres in San Diego are still showing their patriotic progaganda piece, old timer in the corn field and naked baby too, with "God shed his grace on thee" cut from America The Beautiful.

[newzjunkey]

The predecessor in marketing terms is Windows ME (Millennium Edition). Technologically speaking, the predecessor is Windows 2000 Professional.

[Seniram US]

Just a note for those who might use adobe post script fonts. Apparently, Adobe is not yet compatible so when you do a search for adobe fonts, XP can't see them. And ATM, which worked well on 98, has been discontinued, so there is no Adobe Type Manager. Other than that the XP for us has been trouble free and no crashes.

[Sungirl]

Did you know that RUSH LIMBAUGH had surgery today?

[Oschisms]

It's a heck of a lot faster, too.

The one downside is product activation. When you have 4 PC's and are constantly upgrading and rebuilding them, product activation makes for a product you just have no use for. Thank God cracked copies can already be found on the Internet.

[ken21]

i purchased xp the first day.

i didn't like win me, so i formatted my hard drive, and re-installed win 98,

and then installed win xp.

xp has crashed once a week.

[Bush2000]

Did you know that RUSH LIMBAUGH had surgery today?

Thanks for the notice. I'll say a little prayer for him.

[Bush2000]

xp has crashed once a week.

Define crashed.

[LivingNet]

Can you point me to a location or 2 where I could find this? that has always been my complaint about XP and I was boycotting XP for that reason. Then yesterday my company sends me my new laptop with XP professional on it even though I specifically asked for Win2000 - now I guess I'm stuck with it.

Anyone know the difference between XP standard and XP professional? Also is XP based on the NT kernel or is it based on the win98/me system? I always considered Win2000 to be NT version 5. Is XP really NT version 6?? Thanks.

[TomServo]

i didn't like win me, so i formatted my hard drive, and re-installed win 98,

Do it again and forget installing over 98. Just do a clean install of XP. I've never had a problem with 2K or XP when doing a clean install.