微軟處境不佳 Windows Blue被寄予厚望

With hope fading that Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 8 software will reignite computer sales, attention is already shifting to the company's next big effort to regain relevance: Windows Blue.

對微軟(Microsoft Corp.)新操作系統Windows 8重振電腦銷售的希望變得越來越渺茫。市場注意力也已經轉向該公司重振旗鼓的下一個主要項目：Windows Blue。

Microsoft has yet to formally define the software project. But Windows Blue is expected to mark a major change in the company's development methodology, replacing major launches of products every several years with frequent updates of features in operating software and applications such as Office.

微軟還沒有正式定義這個軟件項目。但是Windows Blue預計將標誌着公司發展方式的一個重大改變，不再每隔數年發佈重大產品，而是頻繁地對操作系統和Office等應用程序進行更新。

That model is common in Internet services and apps, markets where Microsoft is determined to play a larger role. Some analysts think Windows Blue will help bring together efforts such as Windows 8─which is targeted at tablets and personal computers─and the Windows Phone software for smartphones.

這種模式在互聯網服務和應用程序中十分常見，微軟正下定決心在上述市場中扮演更大的角色。一些分析人士認爲，Windows Blue將有助於整合Windows 8和Windows Phone的優勢。Windows 8針對的是平板電腦和個人電腦，而Windows Phone針對的則是智能手機。

'Windows 8 was about birthing a new model of applications, essentially a tablet model,' said IDC analyst Al Hilwa. 'Blue is the next milestone in this plan. It brings the phone and PC platform closer together and makes both more compelling.'

國際數據公司(IDC)的分析師席爾瓦(Al Hilwa)說，Windows 8是爲了催生一個應用程序的新模式，尤其是一個平板電腦的模式。Blue是該計劃的下一個里程碑。它使手機和個人電腦平臺的關係更加緊密，讓這兩種產品都更有吸引力。

The stakes for Windows Blue rose this week when two market research firms reported that shipments of PCs fell by double-digits percentages in the first three months of this year.

Windows Blue的重要性本週進一步上升。兩個市場研究公司發佈報告說，今年前三個月，個人電腦的出貨量出現了兩位數的降幅。

Figures from IDC and Gartner Inc. released Wednesday showed Windows 8 hasn't spurred much demand for PCs or tablets running the software. IDC leveled particularly harsh criticism at the software, saying some consumers were turned off by its touch-based interface.

國際數據公司(IDC)和Gartner Inc.週三公佈的數據顯示，Windows 8還沒有能夠刺激人們對搭載該軟件的個人電腦或平板電腦的太多需求。國際數據公司對這款軟件提出了尤其嚴厲的批評，稱這款軟件的觸屏交互界面讓一些消費者選擇放棄購買。

The surprisingly steep drop─IDC called it the worst since it began releasing quarterly numbers for the software in 1994─caused a selloff in PC-related stocks Thursday. Microsoft's stock price slipped 4.9% Thursday afternoon to $28.82, after the company's stock price had touched a six-month high Wednesday.

國際數據公司說，這是1994年開始公佈這款軟件的季度數據以來最糟糕的表現。個人電腦出貨量令人驚訝的大幅下降也導致個人電腦相關股票暴跌。微軟的股價週四下午下跌了4.9%，至28.82美元。此前，該公司股價曾於週三觸及六個月高點。

A spokesman for Microsoft had no immediate comment Thursday.

微軟的一名發言人週四沒有立即置評。

Hewlett-Packard Co., the largest PC maker and a major Microsoft customer, showed the steepest decline in shipments in the first quarter, with a 24% drop, according to IDC. H-P's stock fell 6.4% to $20.86 in recent trading.

根據國際數據公司的數據，惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)第一季度的出貨量降幅最大，達到24%。該公司是全球最大的個人電腦製造商，也是微軟的主要客戶。惠普股價最近下跌了6.4%，至20.86美元。

But executives at Microsoft and partners such as Intel Corp. have acknowledged there is more work to do to encourage a wider array of touch-screen computing devices powered by Windows 8, and at lower price points.

但是微軟以及英特爾(Intel Corp.)等合作伙伴的高管們承認，要想鼓勵電腦廠商們推出更多更便宜的Windows 8觸屏電腦設備，還有很多工作要做。

Intel, which supplies microprocessors that serve as calculating engines in most PCs, is emphasizing a new line of battery-conserving chips that is known by the code name Haswell. The chips are expected to display much more sophisticated graphics and extend battery life on portable computers to eight to 10 hours.

英特爾爲大多數個人電腦提供微處理器，微處理器相當於電腦中的計算引擎。英特爾目前正在專注於一個代號爲Haswell的新型節電芯片產品系列。這些芯片預計將能夠展示更復雜的圖形，將便攜電腦的續航時間延長到八至10小時。

Microsoft also has offered price breaks on its Windows software meant for a new class of simple PCs known as netbooks and seems to be responding to a market shift in consumer demand toward smaller tablets.

微軟還下調了一些Windows軟件的價格。這些軟件針對的是被稱作上網本的新一類簡化個人電腦。與此同時，該公司似乎正在對消費者需求轉向更小尺寸的平板電腦做出迴應。

The company last year entered the market itself with the tablet known as Surface, just as products such as Apple Inc.'s iPad Mini spurred demand for smaller models. Microsoft is now preparing a similarly small model with a seven-inch display, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

微軟去年憑藉Surface平板電腦進入這一市場。當時，蘋果公司(Apple Inc.)的iPad Mini等產品刺激了消費者對更小型號平板電腦的需求。《華爾街日報》週三報道說，微軟正在準備一款類似的小型平板電腦，這款平板電腦將擁有7英寸的顯示屏。

Executives at Intel and Microsoft have said they expect new computer chips and other advancements to drive down the cost of touch-screen laptops to as low as $500 or $600. For now, there are very few Windows 8 touch-screen computers on the market for less than $550.

英特爾和微軟的高管說，他們預計新的電腦芯片和其他方面的改進將使觸屏筆記本電腦的成本降至500美元或600美元。目前，市場上幾乎沒有價格低於550美元的Windows 8觸屏電腦。

Some on Wall Street aren't waiting for a new spark for PC and tablet demand. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and Nomura Securities downgraded their recommendations on Microsoft shares on Thursday, contributing to a selloff in the company's shares.

華爾街的一些人並沒有耐心等待個人電腦和平板電腦需求獲得新的提振。高盛(Goldman Sachs)和野村證券(Nomura Securities)的分析師週四下調了對微軟股票的評級，導致該公司股票被拋售。

Goldman said investors should sell Microsoft shares, while Nomura downgraded the stock to 'neutral' from 'buy.'

高盛說，投資者應賣出微軟股票。而野村證券則將這隻股票的評級從“買進”下調至“中性”。

Goldman Sachs said Microsoft needed to do more to court consumers rather than the corporate customers that are Microsoft's major source of profits.

高盛說，微軟需要採取更多行動來迎合消費者，而不是作爲微軟主要利潤來源的企業客戶。