Microsoft Expects 1 Billion Windows Users by 2010

prostoalex writes "The head of Microsoft Windows client division claimed there will be 1 billion Windows users by 2010, while nowadays there are 600 million of them, Microsoft-Watch reports. 35% of Microsoft's enterprise customers are still running Windows 9x and they are ripe for upgrade. Currently Microsoft's desktop PC market share is at 96%, with the closest rival - MacOS from Apple Computer - being installed on 2.8% of the desktops."

Comments

Re:No bravado, just ordered optimism

[RoLi]

but MSFT has had record earnings and revenue for the LAST 12 CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS.

Just plain wrong:

Fiscal years 1999 to today, the numbers of fiscal 2004 are extrapolated from the first 3 quarters (= 3 quarters times 4/3)

Revenue Earnings

f1999 19.75 7.78
f2000 22.96 9.42
f2001 25.30 7.35
f2002 28.37 7.83
f2003 32.19 9.99
f2004 ~36.73 ~7.31

As you can see, while revenue is indeed growing, earnings are pretty much staying the same. Windows2000 and the new licensing scheme were good for some short term earning boosts, but in general earnings are around 7.5 billion/year and flat.

Oh, and by the way, the latest quarter with 1.3 billion in earnings was the worst Microsoft had since fiscal 1/02 (which was 1.2 billions). And of course the numbers vary on a quarter-to-quarter basis, there were never 12 consecutive record quarters in the last 5 years for Microsoft.

And it's quite possible that fiscal year 2004 (which ended 2 weeks ago) will be Microsoft's worst since fiscal year 1998, we'll see soon.