Vista sales strong: Ballmer can breathe a sigh of relief

The reports are in: Microsoft had a strong Q3 FY 2007.

Microsoft attributed solid results to stronger-than-predicted Windows Vista and Office 2007 sales. Xbox sales were way off for the quarter, and the online services business dove further into the red. But Vista and Office 2007 triumphed over all, according to the Softies.

The most memorable take on Microsoft's quarter I saw came from Jim Goldman, CNBC:

"This is a solid, if even, strong report from Microsoft, and should do quite a bit to assuage the fears that CEO Steve Ballmer was on his way out the door. We spent a huge amount of time speculating, wondering, and prognosticating just how long he had left in the C-suite. He had a rough year last year with high-profile product delays and production issues. I think just about everyone thought he was on the ropes. (Even though no one ever really offered a short-list of names who could step in to Microsoft and do any better.) This report goes to show that his plan is underway and working, at least for Vista, and should buy Microsoft some more time as it tries to come up with the next-generation moneymaker that will alleviate the company's near total reliance on the sluggish, mature personal computer industry."

What's your take? Is Ballmer out of the woods now? (Was he ever seriously in the woods is another question....)

[poll id=8]