November retail sales of Windows XP weren"t so hot. But is the operating system a flop? Maybe not, analysts say.
Microsoft"s biggest operating system launch ever has failed to generate enough retail sales to push past its predecessor, Windows 98, according to market researcher NPD Intelect.
Retailers sold 250,000 copies of Windows XP in November, its first full month of availability, down from 400,000 in October. The October sales account for six days on store shelves plus preorders. By contrast, consumers snapped up 580,000 copies of Windows 98 during its first month on store shelves and 350,000 during the following 30 days.
But retail sales are not the key measure of an operating system"s success, analysts say. Copies sold at retail are "boxed" upgrades or full versions for consumers looking to move to the newest version of Windows. The more accurate measure is client licenses sold to PC makers or businesses. By that accounting, analysts say, Windows XP already is primed to have the most successful first year on the market of any Microsoft operating system.