Ballmer: Vista’s OK because you can downgrade to Windows XP
By Arnold Zafra
I don’t know about you, but I think Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s elevator pitch for Windows Vista reveals his lack of confidence about his company’s major software product.
Ballmer was asked during an interview at an event he was attending in Washington DC whether Microsoft is extending the shelf life of Windows XP after the June 30 deadline. Microsoft’s top honcho did not categorically answer no, but instead mentioned that customers who buy Windows Vista can just downgrade their Vista installation to Windows XP. Thus there’s no need for customers to buy the Windows XP anymore.
“Customers get both,” Ballmer said referring to Microsoft’s licensing policies which permit customers to legally install predecessor versions of the current software they just bought, hinting that if customers don’t like Vista after installing it into their PCs, they can always revert to Windows XP instead.
Ballmer’s statement seemed vague as we couldn’t detect whether he is promoting the use of Vista or Windows XP. On the one hand, he was advocating that consumers should buy Vista instead of buying a new Windows XP license. On the other, he was also encouraging consumers to shift to Windows XP if they don’t like Vista.
But we could also look at this from a marketing point of view. Perhaps suggesting that users can always downgrade to Windows XP after buying Vista somehow reassures them that they have a viable alternative should Vista not work out.
Maybe Mr. Ballmer had other things in mind when he answered the question, or probably he was already thinking about his retirement ten years from now, which he also announced at the same event at Washington DC.
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