Microsoft: Windows Vista sales rate double that of XP

On March 26, Microsoft released its internal sales figures for the first month of Windows Vista. Microsoft said it has sold in excess of 20 million Vista licenses in the first month of latest Windows client's general availability.

That figure includes Vista licenses preloaded on new PCs, upgrades, copies sold through the Vista Express Upgrade program and full packaged prdouct sold at retail between January 30 and February 28. According to Microsoft, that is more than double the initial sales pace for Windows XP.

"Windows Vista license sales after one month of availability have already exceeded the total of Windows XP license sales in the earlier product’s first two months of availability," according to the Microsoft data. "In January 2002, the company announced sales of Windows XP licenses had exceeded 17 million after two months on the market."

So what was that whole "Steve Ballmer warns Wall Street away from too-rosy Vista predictions" all about? Why warn if the company was on track to sell at double the pace of XP? Microsoft does this all the time, usually with earnings. If analysts underestimate you, you'll always be above projections....