微软CEO：Windows 7销售非常火爆

　　微软(Microsoft Corp.)最新的Windows 7操作系统上市第一周里，消费者掀起了抢购热潮。不过，要判断这款软件能在多大程度上刺激个人电脑的销售还为时过早。
　　Consumers snapped up copies of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 7 operating system during its first week on store shelves, though it's too soon to tell to what extent the software will ignite sales of personal computers.

　　微软首席执行长鲍尔默(Steve Ballmer)周四在东京的一个媒体活动上说，自上市以来，Windows 7的销售一直非常火爆，但他没有提供详细情况。
　　Sales of Windows 7 have been 'fantastic' since the launch, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said at a press event in Tokyo Thursday, without providing details.

　　对Windows 7需求的最初了解来自跟踪零售情况的研究机构NPD Group。NPD说，Windows 7盒装软件上市前几天在美国商店中的销量比Windows Vista高出了234%。后者是2007年上市的前一个Windows版本。NPD没有提供实际销售数字。
　　The first glimpse into demand for Windows 7 came from NPD Group, a research firm that tracks retail sales. NPD said unit sales of boxed copies of Windows 7 in U.S. stores were 234% higher during the software's first few days than they were for Windows Vista, the prior version that debuted in 2007. NPD didn't provide underlying sales figures.

　　NPD的数字没有反映出Windows 7对企业的销售情况，而企业是微软软件的重要销售对象。CDW Corp.的技术分析师克里夫(Michael Van Cleave)说，自Windows 7上市以来，该公司发现对个人电脑和Windows 7的需求强劲增长。CDW是一家针对企业、教育和政府客户的技术转售商。
　　NPD's figures don't reflect Windows 7 sales to businesses, an important audience for the Microsoft software. Michael Van Cleave, a technical analyst at CDW Corp., a technology reseller that caters to business, education and government customers, said the company has seen a 'strong uptick' in demand for PCs and Windows 7 since the product became available.

　　Windows 7是否成功的衡量标准是，其对安装这款操作系统的新电脑销售情况的影响。在这方面，Windows 7表现不错，但还不如Vista。
　　The success of Windows 7 will be measured by the impact it has on sales of new PCs that come with the operating system already installed. On that count, Windows 7 performed well, though less so than Vista.

　　NPD说，在10月18日至24日期间──这个时段包括了Windows 7在10月22日正式销售前后的销量──安装Windows操作系统的电脑销量比上年同期增长了49%，比前一周增长了95%。
　　Between Oct. 18 and 24 -- a period that included sales before and after the launch of Windows 7 on Oct. 22 -- unit sales of Windows PCs were up 49% over the same period a year ago and 95% compared with the preceding week, NPD said.

　　NPD说，在Windows 7上市第一周，Windows电脑的销量比Vista上市第一周低6%。NPD的分析师贝克(Stephen Baker)说，我认为这种情况喜忧参半。我们本希望看到硬件方面的表现更为强劲。
　　Windows PC sales were 6% lower during Windows 7's first week compared with during Vista's first week, NPD said. 'I think it's mixed,' said Stephen Baker, an analyst at NPD. 'We would have liked to see a stronger jump on the hardware side.'

　　微软发言人说，公司正在等待硬件合作伙伴和零售企业的销售数据。但他说，NPD的数字与我们听到的人们对Windows 7兴奋之情的传闻基本一致。
　　A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company is waiting for sales data from partners in the hardware and retail businesses, but said the NPD figures are 'in line with the anecdotal stories we've heard about excitement people have for Windows 7.'

　　10月份个人消费者电脑销售通常清淡，这个时候对吸引返校购物者来说已经太晚，而启动假日需求又还为时过早。
　　October is a weak month for consumer PC sales, coming too late to capture back-to-school shoppers and too early to tap into holiday demand.

　　新电脑销量可能会在11月时上扬，届时一些零售商将会开始大规模的假日促销活动。目前引人关注的是沃尔玛(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)将以298美元的价格销售装有Windows 7 Home Premium系统的惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)笔记本电脑。通常这个版本都安装在价格更高的电脑上。广告称，这款产品周六将在沃尔玛商店销售。
　　Sales of new PCs will likely see an uptick in November, when some retailers begin aggressive holiday promotions. One generating buzz is a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offer for a $298 Hewlett-Packard Co. laptop running Windows 7 Home Premium, a version that normally comes with more expensive PCs. Advertisements say it'll be available Saturday in Wal-Mart stores.

　　沃尔玛的一位发言人在谈到Windows 7的销售情况时说，我们的期望已经很高了，但它超出了我们的预期。
　　'Our expectations were already pretty great, but it exceeded our expectations,' a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said of Windows 7 sales.