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LISA NAPOLI: Microsoft's released the first sales figures for its much-ballyhooed and long-delayed Vista operating system. Jason Paur says there's an easy way to explain why those figures are high: Mr. Softy owns the desktop.

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JASON PAUR: Microsoft says it sold more than 20 million licenses for the new Vista operating system during February, the first full month of sales.

The figure includes sales to computer makers and to consumers. The product had been delayed for years and then the launch missed the holiday shopping season.

But according to Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research, the sales figures are good news for the software maker.

MICHAEL GARTENBERG: It's important to note that the January 30 launch date comes at a fairly slow time of the year. It's post holiday and it's before back to school, so this type of interest, to the tune of 20 million copies sold is really indicative that Microsoft is finding a way to get their message across.

Gartenberg says the figure is impressive even if you consider there are nearly 900 million PCs worldwide today, nearly double what there were in 2001 during the last Windows launch.

In Seattle, I'm Jason Paur for Marketplace.