Microsoft's delightfully understated CEO Steve Ballmer doesn't expect Windows 7 to do wonders for PC sales.

Speaking at a press conference in Munich, Ballmer said: "There will be a surge of PCs but it will probably not be huge." Ballmer added that he expects the recovery in the tech sector to take some time.

In several previous statements Ballmer was also cautious about the speed of Windows 7 adoption. Microsoft is obviously playing it safe and trying to downplay expectations for the new OS. In case you haven't noticed, the economy has gone a bit sour, and even when it was doing well, Vista adoption rates were disappointing.

Windows 7 is expected to launch in two weeks time, so it will take weeks and months before we get a clear picture of adoption rates and the impact of the launch on PC sales.

More here.