Windows XP displays stubborn staying power

Microsoft has been waxing poetic about the virtues of its new operating system, Vista. But late last week during a call with analysts, the Redmond-based software giant said that sales of Windows XP will continue strong for the rest of this year and into the next. The company's CFO said that he has changed the forecasts for Vista and XP. He now expects XP sales to be 50 percent higher in the next 12 months than the company had previously estimated. In an interview with ComputerWorld, Michael Cherry, analyst at Directions on Microsoft, suggests that Microsoft may have to take more aggressive steps to limit the availability of Windows XP so that Vista adoption rates are strengthened. This Spring, Microsoft announced plans to cease sales of Windows XP to resellers and retailers in 2008.

For more on Windows XP's staying power:
- read all about it in this ComputerWorld article