Windows 95 Sales Projection Lowered

Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 95 sales this year will be 27 percent less than expected as business customers opt for an earlier version of the popular computer software, according to market researcher Dataquest.

Dataquest said it cut sales estimates on the year-old computer product because sales of Windows 3.1, the previous generation of the operating system, are well above earlier forecasts.

Windows 95 shipments are still likely to more than double to 45.7 million units in 1996 from 18.5 million last year, the research company said. Dataquest previously predicted Microsoft would sell 62.7 million copies of Windows 95 this year.

Microsoft, the world’s largest maker of personal computer software, introduced the Windows 95 operating system last August as an enhanced version of its Windows 3.1 program. Operating systems run the basic functions of computers.

Dataquest said large and medium companies are driving the continuing strong demand for Windows 3.1.

Alex. Brown & Sons Inc. analyst Mary McCaffery wasn’t surprised at the sales rate of either program.

“It’s very consistent with what we expected corporations to do, which is to shift gradually,” she said.