More Microsoft Windows than Cars, Come 2008

Microsoft recently boasted that its Windows Vista operating system, software that has been called into question a thousand times over by our Bill Lindner, has crossed the 60 million sales plateau. Even more impressive may be future estimates by the company, who foresee more Windows PCs in the world than cars by the end of fiscal 2008.

Such a bold, and to some degree irrelevant statement could only be made by CEO Steve Ballmer. He made the mind-blowing analysis very appropriately during a recent "analyst day" in Redmond.

Microsoft has continued to parade a list of achievements for its software in recent months. Bill Gates rolled out the 40 million sales number in mid-May, while COO Kevin Turner had the joy of boasting the more recent 60 million platform. The company expects all Windows PCs, including those running the still-hot XP, will pass one billion by the end of this current fiscal year.

Despite criticism, Vista has indeed sold well. It made the 40 million mark in just 100 days, and the recent 60 million passes the installed base of all similar Apple products. Ballmer's boasting may be in response to some reports that Apple sales are uncharacteristically high at the moment.  (Source: machinist.salon.com)

Apple-related or not, Ballmer decided the 'Windows one billion mark' (insert Dr. Evil accent) was best to compare with the number of drivers clogging the globe's freeways. "If you stop and just think about that, parse that for a second, by the end of our fiscal year '08, there will be more PCs running Windows in the world than there are automobiles, which is at least to me kind of a mind-numbing concept." (Source: pcmag.com)

Although both fascinating and completely extraneous, Ballmer's announcement proves that, love 'em or hate 'em, Microsoft owns you and just about everyone you know. Get used to it.

Is an announcement of the Redmond-assembled super car next?