Live from the U.S. Vista Launch

I'm blogging live at the lunch portion of the official Microsoft celebration of the launch of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office System here in New York City.

Enthusiasm is the theme of the day, from the flat panel screens on stage proclaiming "The 'Wow' starts now" to Steve Ballmer's opening remarks to the crowd, in which he notes that he is "too enthusiastic to sit".

His enthusiasm and optimism is evident as he discusses his expectations for Vista sales: He says that in the next 3 months, Microsoft expects to sell five times as many copies of Vista compared with the sales of Windows 95 in the same period after its launch. He said the company also expects to sell twice as many copies of Vista as it did as copies of Windows XP in that time.

Ballmer talks about Windows 95 a bit, noting that it has been 12 years since Microsoft launched new versions of Windows and Office at the same time. Since the launch of Windows and Office 95, he notes, things have changed greatly.

At that time, the PC was the only significant technology product in people's lives, the Internet was nascent, and devices like cell phones and MP3 players were either not yet in existence or not very widespread.

Today, he says, the PC is at the center of a digital lifestyle, where things like mobility and digital entertainment are important to the user. Both Vista and Office 2007 are designed to take advantage of this.

Among the highlights of the new software:

1. Its ease of use and excitement: he cites the new Aero interface and the integrated search in Vista and the new ribbon in Office 2007 as part of this.

2. It's safer, with a focus on security, he says, citing parental controls, and antiphishing features.

3. It's designed for digital entertainment, such as photos, movies, and games.

4. It's also about helping people connect, whether that be multiple computers, multiple devices, or to Internet-based services.

Ballmer is joined by some of Microsoft's industry partners from Dell, Intel, Toshiba, AMD, and HP, and will be answering questions from the press.

(Read my later blog entries from PC World's coverage of the Microsoft U.S. Vista launch event: Focus on Vista's Security, Live from the Vista Event Lounge, Bill Gates Speaks, and The Deed Is Done!) And for all the latest news, reviews, and video concerning Windows Vista, visit PC World's Vista and XP Windows Info Center.

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