Windows 7 continues to smash Vista

Latest sales through distribution figures from Context look promising as the operating system proves more popular than its predecessor

Windows 7 has been installed in more than half of all PCs sold through Europe’s top distributors since its launch, according to the latest figures from Context.

The analyst claimed sales of PCs equipped with the business versions of the operating system are already performing better than Windows Vista.

Jeremy Davies, co-founder of Context, said: “Our distributor panel sells close to 600,000 PC units weekly across all the major European economies. By the end of the week before Christmas this year, two months after the Windows 7 launch, we found that 11 per cent of all PCs sold by distributors went out with a business version of Windows 7 installed.”

Davies said this contrasted to the Vista launch, which after eight weeks saw just four per cent of PCs with any business versions of the operating system installed.

Context’s figures hinted at encouraging sales for 2010. In the first two weeks of December 2009, Windows 7 business sales have already overtaken Vista, Context claimed.

PCs sold with all business versions of Windows 7, including those with the " twin-load" option to downgrade to Windows XP, accounted for 11 per cent of all PCs sold by distributors in the period. For Vista, including twin-load versions, the total was 10 per cent of units sold.

Sales of Windows 7 are also ramping better than Vista. Two months after Windows 7 was unveiled, 57 per cent of all PCs sold through European distribution have the new operating system installed. Two months after the Vista launch, just 33 per cent of new machines were sold with Vista installed.

Davies said Windows 7 is in a strong position for the coming year, which will be welcome news to vendors such as HP, Dell and Lenovo, which are hoping 2010 will be the year when the delayed refresh cycle on business PCs kicks off.

“What could swing sales in favour of Windows 7 will be a combination of factors,” Davies said. “One of these will be compatibility with legacy XP applications via the Virtual PC for Windows 7 (XP Mode). Windows 7 does not require the highest hardware specifications to run effectively, which for example Vista demanded. At the same time, Windows XP is showing its age, especially in areas such as connectivity and security – both areas that Windows 7 addresses.”

Vista business sales never went beyond 26 per cent share of PC sales by distribution, compared to 40 per cent for XP Pro prior to the Vista launch in 2007, Context claimed.

“Business PCs account for approximately 44 per cent of sales via distribution. Windows 7’s success will be measured by just how close it gets to the previous benchmark set by the XP operating system,” concluded Davies.