It might have had a mixed response from critics but Vista is being credited with a big jump in US retail computer sales. The launch of Microsoft's latest operating system apparently helped PC sales jump 173 per cent compared to the week before.

According to market watcher Current Analysis, PC sales were up 67 per cent in the week Vista launched compared to the same period a year ago.

Researchers also found higher demand for more expensive versions of the software - Vista Home Premium made up 76 per cent of notebook sales while the Home Basic version accounted for only 16 per cent of notebooks.

Desktop computers also favoured the more expensive software - Home Premium accounted for 59 per cent of total sales and Home Basic made up 33 per cent.

The figures were collected from five retailers - Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Staples and Radio Shack.

Of course, the launch of Vista was not exactly unexpected, so many potential PC customers will have been keeping their cash in their pockets in the run-up to the actual consumer launch, hence the big spike.

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