By Jessica Hodgson
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
SAN FRANCISCO -(Dow Jones)- Sales of Windows 7, the latest version of the Windows operating system from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), have been "fantastic" since the launch, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Thursday.
Ballmer's upbeat remarks at a press event in Tokyo come 10 days after the operating system--the successor to the much-maligned Windows Vista--was formally unveiled. Microsoft is relying heavily on a positive reception to Windows 7 to move beyond the perceived shortcomings of Vista and to recharge revenue growth. The Redmond., Wash.-based software giant earlier this year reported its first fiscal year of declining revenue in its 23-year history as a public company.
NPD Group, a market research firm, said sales of Windows 7 had surpassed those of Vista, based on a comparison with a similar time in the launch cycle of Vista.
According to NPD data, sales of Windows 7 were 234% higher than Vista's first few days of sales, but revenue growth wasn't as strong, due to discounting and lower-cost pre-sale versions of the software.
Analyst Stephen Baker said the average pre-sale price of a copy of Windows Home Premium--targeted at consumers--was $76, compared with a list price of $120.
Microsoft shares were trading recently at $28.60, up 1.9%.
-By Jessica Hodgson, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6455; jessica.hodgson@dowjones.com