The recent debut of Microsoft Windows 7 has been deemed a success, as sales numbers compiled by the NPD Group indicate Windows 7 sales have crushed opening day sales of Windows Vista.
Since the launch of Vista -- which many analysts and tech followers said was a train wreck -- Microsoft has been desperate to ramp up Windows 7 marketing so consumers knew another OS was on the way. Windows 7 fixes a lot of the common problems users had with Vista, including the realization that Vista was too much of a hardware/graphics hog for the regular PC user.
"Microsoft's program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful," NPD analyst Stephen Baker noted. "In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles."
The release of Windows 7 also helped temporarily increase PC sales -- a 49% sales increase from the same period one year ago -- as PC manufacturers and consumers look towards the future.
Most Windows 7 reviews posted prior to the Oct. 22 launch were positive – which led analysts to become hopeful of a sales surge during the first week of its release. Indeed, Windows 7 revenue dramatically toppled Vista's opening sales figures by 83%, according to NPD, setting the plateau even higher for future sales.
Have you upgraded to Windows 7? If so, what are your first impressions of the OS?
