Thanks for playing.

I must say, I have never been to a website, forum or blog that their readers "hate" the writers so much..... yet you just can't leave.
You guy's are like Howard Stern haters... you listen to him twice as long as the fans.
Grow up people, if you don't like the articles... just leave and never come back, it's that simple. But then you would not have an outlet to complain and ridicule... would you?

It's a crying shame when a fucking bot like drashek has a more interesting comment to read than what Nick posted as news!

I guess this must be the new direction the Inq is going since Charlie and others went away. At least Charlie was amusing with his crap, but Nick is just sad, sad, sad.....

I live in Cape Town, South Africa. All the distributors have been sold out since the first week. A couple of stores selling with huge markups still have stock, but in general, it is all sold out and everyone is on back-order.

"... businesses are ... dropping the business lisence and leaving whatever versin of os came with the machine on the machine."

My experience is quite the opposite! To simplify and cut costs on support most companies use highly standardised computers. To cut license costs they purchase these computers "clean" and then install the company standard firm- and software on volume licensing.

Ballmer's lack of monkey-boy hooting and dancing just could be a sign of the effects of some prescription drugs that Microsoft's company physician has put him on to help control behavioral anomalies of that nature. His normal, "abnormal" behavior would not go over well with the conservative Japanese (hence the drugged-CEO theory).

Just a thought, as perhaps reading too much else into it could be a mistake. If they let him off his leash again in the USA, that might corroborate this theory.

Microsoft CEO talks about Japanese sales of operating system to crowd of Japanese people in Tokyo. Shock ****ing horror.

If We could Only turn Back Clock. Youth has Energy that Writers Spin forth in Lustful Gushes.

Alas, People grow OLD. Porn Never grows OLD. So Prepared More FurLong Haul.

Charlies' Getting Married & writing article every few days. Sly or Ms. kraus, Lives in Silicon Valley & Is Already married. Yet, Family Duties will Call, Eventually. Syl barak Has Done tremendous Job with carrer. Mike of Course, Is Wonder at writing acurate reports & still writing when Not Sniffing Karma sutra Ports. Mikes wed & Children now sell digital music & even wrote for theINQ, in past.

Last Night Heards small Penquins Shed tears asking wheres' Ultee'. who Knows, Ultee' Invisible.

drashek

Amazing... Even posting a ridiculous article about how he talked in JAPAN about how well Windows 7 was doing IN JAPAN, the ferret still managed to sneak in some anti-Apple rant, which has NOTHING to do with the article whatsoever.

You, Nick, are a walking unpolished turd.

I am AMAZED you still have a job.

I miss charlie and sylvie.. At least their crap "news" was more entertaining

After some initial momentum, Windows 7 isn't gaining more market share now. In some countries, Mac OS is gaining faster than Windows 7, according to StatCounter Global Stats. And yes: Businesses see no reason to update now. Christmas will also be pretty dull for Microsoft: For the second time in a row, Microsoft Windows doesn't run on the hottest device of the year. Last year it was Netbooks, this year it's eBook readers. And I'm not even talking of mobile phones. Windows mobile is dead like it always was, Android (Linux+Java) is all the rage!

Do you get paid by the line Nick, or is it by article?

What this story amounts to is: 'whilst taking to a jap audience Ballmer notes Win 7 is doing well locally'.

Dude, what's up with all the brands?

Given that Service Pack 1 is already under way, the vast majority of businesses are staying with XP, after deciding to skip over Vista given it was such a turd.

The promise of 7?

It doesn't suck as much as Vista. We polished the turd just a little more.

Yeah, I can just see the stampede of the Japanese now.

Previously, businesses would lisence windows twice, once with the machines they purchase and a second time with some form of business lisence.

Today, businesses are realising this is stupid and are dropping the business lisence and leaving whatever versin of os came with the machine on the machine.
Todays business applications are mostly browser based and companies that ignore non-microsoft browsers or platforms are being skipped over.