Microsoft Summarizes its Good Year at CES

Today, Microsoft detailed its plans for the coming year at the Consumer Electronics Show. For the second year, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer served as keynote speaker and kicked things off with plans for XBox 360 enhancements, a new gesture-driven interface for the XBox and a tablet-style Windows PC.

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show

Ballmer proceeded to tout the company’s successes, which include its recent Windows 7 launch, and also spent time outlining the company’s plans for enhancing home entertainment and tying together the “three screens” through which people experience media today (television, PC and mobile devices).

All things considered, it has been a good year for Microsoft, especially according to Ballmer. The CEO referred to the launch of the company’s search engine, Bing, which he stated has attracted 11 million users since its launch. With more numbers, there are more than 39 million Xboxes in use around the world, and XBox game sales have totaled $20 billion since the platform’s launch, Ballmer said.

Of course, the centerpiece of Microsoft’s business in 2009 was the launch of Windows 7. After taking well-deserved criticism for Vista in 2007, Microsoft has bounced back with many much-needed enhancements in Windows 7. For the most part, the critical and consumer response to Windows 7 has been excellent and it seems that the Mac hasn’t killed off Windows after all. Courtesy of wired.com