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Dell: "Vista was a bust"

By Reuters

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 at 10:37

Dell expects Windows 7 to spur a sales recovery in 2010, after admitting "Vista was a bust".

"Windows 7 is the best quality product launch that Microsoft has had in a very long time," says Dell's president for large enterprise Stephen Schuckenbrock. "When you consider that Vista was a bust, Windows 7 is a capability upgrade on a scale that has really never been seen before."

PC makers are hoping the launch of Windows 7 will motivate companies who skipped Vista to invest in new desktops and servers.

Dell is also pinning its hopes on its virtualisation and services businesses, after completing the acquisition of software services provider Perot Systems.

When you consider that Vista was a bust, Windows 7 is a capability upgrade on a scale that has really never been seen before

"I would look for services capability as we drive to help customers save," adds Schuckenbrock. "Software that helps them exploit all the advantages of virtualisation is always something we are interested in."

Dell and smaller rival Lenovo have seen total PC unit sales fall in the past year, largely because of their reliance on corporate spending, and are looking to diversify their businesses to arrest declining sales.

Acer overtook Dell as the world's number two PC brand in the third quarter, according to research firms IDC and Gartner, helped by its success in the low-cost netbook PC segment.

However, Schuckenbrock claims Dell is less focused on taking back its second-place market position from Acer, and more interested in running the most profitable business possible.

"We're not unit (sales) focused," he says. "We're focused on the healthy balance of our business ... We don't want to chase things that don't make sense."

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User comments

If Windows 7 proves to be another leap forward, like Vista, then I'll be happy.

I upgraded my home machine to Windows 7 Pro last week and it is running fine. The Apple inspired Taskbar is great, it was one of the things that I really missed when using Windows.

The Vista search box on the Windows menu was enough to sell me on it, compared to XP. I never got on with XP's Fisher Price look and feel, Vista feels a lot more professional.

Windows 7's taskbar looks a little less polished, but fits in with the Aero look better. The simpler 2D and less colourful icons in the tray are also very refreshing. I just hope the other software developers follow suit.

By big_D on 21 Oct 2009

The foul stench of marketing

Dell are just seizing an opportunity to look like high court judges in the world of 'fleet' computing. There was nothing wrong with Vista. They are just waving a wet finger in the air of public opinion from potential customers.

By Alperian on 21 Oct 2009

Dell's business sales didn't recommend vista

well not to me anyway. even when I asked for the vista licence with downgrade xp media the agent told me not to bother and just get xp oem.

By nded01 on 21 Oct 2009

And in other news, water is wet...

"Vista was a bust" Really? You don't say?

@Alperian "There was nothing wrong with Vista" - Did you every USE it? What did you upgrade FROM, Windows ME????

By cheysuli on 22 Oct 2009

@cheysuli

I have been using the same single install of vista (not a clean install, but over XP!) since March 2007. If people choose to install a new OS on older hardware, then they shouldn't go bleating to their e-tailer or PC Pro that it sucks. I am a freelance web developer, have 141 programs installed and push this machine hard. Vista is the most reliable OS I have ever used (having had to re-install the OS in Macs and PCs every 6-8 months in the past.

XP after SP2 marks the first time MS really got it right. The driver management in Vista though is superb although I am still using 32bit version.

I am afraid, regrettably, that the public IS stupid. Politicians & marketeers are never allowed to say this although they thrive on the fact (look at Gerald Ratner when he made a slip). The world is full of people who will accept what they read or that a friend tells them verbatim. I could bang on about his but it is not the place here to talk about viral ignorance.
Vista was a huge step forward for MS and it is one of the great ironies of our time that they were castigated for it.

By Alperian on 22 Oct 2009

I suppose I must have actually read that O_o

By Klobba on 22 Oct 2009

Vista was bloatware when it was released, I used it for two months - I really gave things a go - but it just refused to work properly with some of my hardware, so I returned back to XP (even in Linux things worked). Now in win7 somethings work and somethings don't. I know I'm at the point of buying a new printer soon and looking at buying some other devices or software too, so I can avoid having problems with win7, but for how long? Win8 or win9 two years down the road?

If everything works well in XP - why upgrade? Why waste my hard earned cash? Just because my neighbour has the latest (bugs) OS?

Vista was a pile of crap, win7 is possibly vista with a makeover - they seemed to have removed the bloat at least, it seems faster, but its way too early to knock it - well we have until march next year and by then M$ will be announcing how wonderful it is doing and talking about the next version of windows!

By nicomo on 22 Oct 2009

Oh now its only a bust

I agree. They wernt to eager to admit that when they where selling computers with vista as the only choice for an OS and saying that "Dell Recommends Windows Vista Which make your computer more enjoyable"

By YoungBaird on 22 Oct 2009