Clawing Into Microsoft

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has recently taken considerable flack over Vista, the new PC operating system the company released broadly early this year. It was highly anticipated; Microsoft, parent of the ubiquitous Windows system, tends to release new versions of its operating systems, to much hype in part because they arrive several years apart, in contrast to Apple's practice of updating its systems roughly every 18 months.

But for some, Vista wasn't worth the wait. Users and critics complained of slow start-up times and incompatibility with other programs, among other issues. There were even reports of users remedying the problems by uninstalling Vista and replacing it with its Windows predecessor. A Microsoft spokesperson says many early problems have been addressed and noted that more than 88 million copies sold since the end of January. Sales of Vista and Halo lifted Microsoft's fiscal first-quarter profit by 23 percent and boosted its stock price from $31.99 to $35.55 in after-hours trading Thursday.

Browsing the Apple store before heading to a catch a movie, Luisa Gartner says she's still "fairly happy" with her PC and its Windows system. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Apple's riding high on more passionate endorsements.

© 2007