Vista steals the show

NEW YORK--Now that Steve Ballmer has launched Windows Vista and Office 2007, he has his sights set on getting a key user to upgrade: his wife.

Although Microsoft's chief executive has managed to get test versions of both products on some of his home machines, Ballmer said his wife has a strict policy of no beta software on her PC. "Now that we've officially launched, I get to do the upgrade at the Ballmer house," he said, speaking Tuesday morning to a crowd at a Best Buy on Fifth Avenue.

The event, ostensibly aimed at showing the retail excitement around the new products, drew a crush of reporters.

That made the considerably smaller number of store customers at 10 a.m. PST on Tuesday nearly as popular as Ballmer, with video crews lining up to get their thoughts on the new software.

With Ballmer handling retail duty, Chairman Bill Gates took to the airwaves, chatting with the Today Show, CNN and The Daily Show, where Gates tried to sell host Jon Stewart on Vista.

Stewart warned Gates upfront that he was not exactly a technophile.

"I'm not particularly well-versed in computers," he told Gates. "What does the F12 button do?"

Gates was quick with his reply. "I'd stay away from it if I were you. Start with F1 and work your way up."

Gates gave Stewart a copy of Vista, but the reigning monarch of fake news was still not sold. "What if I don't know how to use it?"

"Call me," Gates said.

Stewart did show some savvy in trying to get Gates' password, asking the world's richest man if he had any pets. No, Gates said, no pets. What about when you were a kid?

That's not my password, Gates assured Stewart.

All eyes on Vista
Although Microsoft launched Office 2007 and Vista together, nearly all the attention Monday was on the new operating system, with the ubiquitous Office logo the only clear reminder that it, too, was having its launch.

News.com Poll

Vista: Now or never
How soon do you plan to move to Microsoft's latest OS?

I'm standing in line right now to buy it.
Whenever I buy my next PC.
Windows XP is going to last me a good, long time.
I'm sticking with the Mac--or moving there soon.

View results

Office Vice President Chris Capossela said he wasn't too disappointed.

"I feel good about the amount of airtime," he said over breakfast Tuesday. "Your expectations have to be reasonable."

He noted that Office got more attention at the business launch, back in November.

What's in that swag bag?
The biggest hit at the launch party Monday was the goodie bag that people got on their way out. Attendees at the Times Square affair included beta testers, reporters, analysts and tech executives. And it was sometimes hard to tell which of those groups was most excited for the swag. Sure, the reporters and beta testers were lining up to get theirs, but I also saw one very high-ranking tech executive make sure he had his before heading out to his next event.

So what was inside?

Predictably, there was Office and Vista. Notably it was the high-end Vista Ultimate and the entry-level Home and Student edition of Office--sorry Vista test kids, no InfoPath server for you. There was also an Xbox 360 controller (it also works with Vista PCs) and a Games for Windows title. Also tucked in the bag was the Vista press kit from the Consumer Electronics Show, which itself included another Vista game and a pair of flash drives.

[HowardParsons]

Are proofreaders an endangered species?

What's wrong w/ the following sentence?

Stewart warned Gates upfront that he was not exactly a technofile.

It should be "technophile" not "technofile".

[HowardParsons]

Are proofreaders an endangered species?

What's wrong w/ the following sentence?

Stewart warned Gates upfront that he was not exactly a technofile.

It should be "technophile" not "technofile".

[bwchato]

Vista

I don't have any interest in Vista.After 12 years i've learned not to try new operating systems since they have a lot of bugs and security holes.I intend to use XP PRO until i can't go where i want on the internet.I only started using XP about 3 years ago and have no intention of buying Vista.I already used Vista RC-1 and was not impressed.If i had the money i would rather buy a Mac.

[bwchato]

Vista

I don't have any interest in Vista.After 12 years i've learned not to try new operating systems since they have a lot of bugs and security holes.I intend to use XP PRO until i can't go where i want on the internet.I only started using XP about 3 years ago and have no intention of buying Vista.I already used Vista RC-1 and was not impressed.If i had the money i would rather buy a Mac.

[DMAN3k]

You go buy a mac then...

I bet you work for Apple... geez.

Unlike you, I don't want to pay $2 per update, I also don't want to wait 5 years for them to plug in a hole in Quicktime. I also don't like companies installing rootkits in my pc, like the one with iPod.

Safe and secure... and Macs use Firefox... How much safer and securer (err.. more secure) than a Vista-running machine also using Firefox?

[DMAN3k]

You go buy a mac then...

I bet you work for Apple... geez.

Unlike you, I don't want to pay $2 per update, I also don't want to wait 5 years for them to plug in a hole in Quicktime. I also don't like companies installing rootkits in my pc, like the one with iPod.

Safe and secure... and Macs use Firefox... How much safer and securer (err.. more secure) than a Vista-running machine also using Firefox?

[barrack]

Vista to difficult for Balmer's wife?

Is it that hard to install vista on a pc that the man of the house has
to do the work? I can understand that he fixes the car or does the
jobs that are hefty but is Windows still that dificult that an
experienced man needs to install it?

[barrack]

Vista to difficult for Balmer's wife?

Is it that hard to install vista on a pc that the man of the house has
to do the work? I can understand that he fixes the car or does the
jobs that are hefty but is Windows still that dificult that an
experienced man needs to install it?

[TanNg]

Windows user dont read CNET anymore?

It seems that Windows user don't read CNET any more. Look into the voting result and you will see that. And me after almost 4 years of reading News.com and eWeek, yesterday I just delete eWeek from my bookmark. I may soon switch to Digg and other news sources, this pool show me that CNET is no more for mainstream user, it is now a land of haters.

Goodbye CNET!

[TanNg]

Windows user dont read CNET anymore?

It seems that Windows user don't read CNET any more. Look into the voting result and you will see that. And me after almost 4 years of reading News.com and eWeek, yesterday I just delete eWeek from my bookmark. I may soon switch to Digg and other news sources, this pool show me that CNET is no more for mainstream user, it is now a land of haters.

Goodbye CNET!

[TanNg]

Desktop search

Do you know who have desktop search first? Many desktop search applications are running on Windows 2000, XP. Apple just copy it into their OS. Search concept also showed in prototype of Longhorn before OS X appear. So, this is not a trust, this is a lie. Ten company desktop search application and CNET dont talk about this, but when Google come out with GDS CNET was chanting "Innovation", when Apple copy it to their OS, CNET and Apple user are shouting "breakthrough innovation". And you call this trust.

[TanNg]

Desktop search

Do you know who have desktop search first? Many desktop search applications are running on Windows 2000, XP. Apple just copy it into their OS. Search concept also showed in prototype of Longhorn before OS X appear. So, this is not a trust, this is a lie. Ten company desktop search application and CNET dont talk about this, but when Google come out with GDS CNET was chanting "Innovation", when Apple copy it to their OS, CNET and Apple user are shouting "breakthrough innovation". And you call this trust.