Report: Windows 8 PC sales well below projections

According to Paul Thurrott, sales of Windows 8 PCs are well below the company's internal projections.

Perhaps more notably, the well-known Microsoft insider says the company has been blaming PC makers for their lackluster designs and availability.

More specifically, the source blames PC makers' "inability to deliver," extremely strong words that completely justifies Microsoft's move into building their own hardware, the Surface.

Additionally, the software giant has been looking to expand their Microsoft retail stores, which could put them in even bigger competition with their hardware partners.

Another potential reason for the slow sales is the confusing different versions of Windows, most notably the Windows RT seen on the Surface tablet. There has been widespread confusion on the differences between RT and the upcoming Windows 8 Pro. RT can only use apps built for RT, unlike Pro which can run on AMD or Intel chips and has access to the hundreds of thousands of Windows legacy applications.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Nov 2012 16:27

bigdan45

Well, here's the obligatory "Well, duh!"

18.11.2012 16:47 #1

xnonsuchx

And it must be Windows Phone makers' fault that MS's share of the mobile phone OS market keeps dwindling rather than increasing at all???

18.11.2012 17:15 #2

sapphirescales (unverified)

I don't know. When you change absolutely EVERYTHING that could be changed in your OS, what do you expect to happen? I'm sure people are going to the store to buy a new PC and are totally put off by Windows 8. "You mean I have to learn a whole new way of doing absolutely everything I know how to do on the computer?! No thanks! I'll go buy a used PC or go with a Mac!"

18.11.2012 18:31 #3

pollution

My Windows 7 PC works great and I just upgraded from XP about a year ago when I bought this laptop for 300 at frys after mail in rebates and I have the full version of office 2010 for cheap thanks to my job. I am not upgrading to have to pay for all the same programs again. Maybe in 5 years.

18.11.2012 18:45 #4

mukhis

Originally posted by pollution: I am not upgrading to have to pay for all the same programs again. Maybe in 5 years.
well, probably 5 years is too much to say but i do agree on your point. this is the best reason why most users including me will not use win8 unless they buy a new device that comes with win8 by default. win7 is pretty good.

18.11.2012 21:49 #5

cart0181

I'm sorry, but these are the worst, as in the most ignorant, comments I have ever seen on this site. Y'all are a bunch of idiots. Not a bad little news tidbit though. Thanks AD.

Ok fine, I'll elaborate a bit:

-Duh what? explain
-xnonsuchx comment is the only one with a legit question/comment.
-absolutely everything has changed... yeah. right.
-yeah, you'll need to buy all your same programs again. sure. Maybe in 5 years your brain will have deteriorated far enough for you not to care anymore.
-might want to revise this one. "most users including me will not use win8" how about upgrade not "use"
agree? with that?

Hopefully these words are not to strong for the mods. Even they must agree these have been extraordinarily ignorant comments. Maybe this will help y'all out, wait probably not: link
And next time think before you post. :-)

18.11.2012 23:52 #6

Qliphah

I imagine every Microsoft supplier meeting going like this;

M$ EX1: Katufrata nit toe
M$ EX2: Targah
M$ Ex1: Quatagn gramd touch screen, kiath keyboard.

Supplier: What the fuck are they saying
Supplier 2: I don't know but their eyes are glowing and I have this feeling like my sanity is escaping me.
Supplier 1: We should just do whatever they say
Supplier 2: But I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, THE WHISPERS IN MY BRAIN ARE TELLING ME TO DO STUPID THINGS!
Supplier 1: Quatang Windows Store.
Supplier 2: Oh god.... (head explodes)

19.11.2012 08:37 #7

ZippyDSM

Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.

---
Check out my crappy creations
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

19.11.2012 09:17 #8

stardata

Originally posted by cart0181: I'm sorry, but these are the worst, as in the most ignorant, comments I have ever seen on this site. Y'all are a bunch of idiots. Not a bad little news tidbit though. Thanks AD.

Ok fine, I'll elaborate a bit:

-Duh what? explain
-xnonsuchx comment is the only one with a legit question/comment.
-absolutely everything has changed... yeah. right.
-yeah, you'll need to buy all your same programs again. sure. Maybe in 5 years your brain will have deteriorated far enough for you not to care anymore.
-might want to revise this one. "most users including me will not use win8" how about upgrade not "use"
agree? with that?

Hopefully these words are not to strong for the mods. Even they must agree these have been extraordinarily ignorant comments. Maybe this will help y'all out, wait probably not: link
And next time think before you post. :-)
Attacking people shows that you have no idea how to express yourself properly in a professional manner. I'm amazed the mods didn't ban you for this. People are allowed to comment without being attacked by someone like you.

Why upgrade to a new operating system when the operating system people use i.e windows 7 works perfectly fine ? it seems a huge waste of money to do so, and this will be the main reason sales of windows 8 will be poor.

Windows 7 does basically everything windows 8 can do so what point is there in people having to backup,format and install all their stuff all for a similar operating system ? it makes no sense.

Windows 7 is not an old operating system by any standards and it does everything a person needs to do so people will just say, whats the point in wasting money and giving myself a headache dealing with a new similar operating system. Wait and see, sales will be atrocious for a very long time on windows 8, what's the point.

19.11.2012 09:35 #9

ZippyDSM

Originally posted by stardata: Originally posted by cart0181: I'm sorry, but these are the worst, as in the most ignorant, comments I have ever seen on this site. Y'all are a bunch of idiots. Not a bad little news tidbit though. Thanks AD.

Ok fine, I'll elaborate a bit:

-Duh what? explain
-xnonsuchx comment is the only one with a legit question/comment.
-absolutely everything has changed... yeah. right.
-yeah, you'll need to buy all your same programs again. sure. Maybe in 5 years your brain will have deteriorated far enough for you not to care anymore.
-might want to revise this one. "most users including me will not use win8" how about upgrade not "use"
agree? with that?

Hopefully these words are not to strong for the mods. Even they must agree these have been extraordinarily ignorant comments. Maybe this will help y'all out, wait probably not: link
And next time think before you post. :-)
Attacking people shows that you have no idea how to express yourself properly in a professional manner. I'm amazed the mods didn't ban you for this. People are allowed to comment without being attacked by someone like you.

Why upgrade to a new operating system when the operating system people use i.e windows 7 works perfectly fine ? it seems a huge waste of money to do so, and this will be the main reason sales of windows 8 will be poor.

Windows 7 does basically everything windows 8 can do so what point is there in people having to backup,format and install all their stuff all for a similar operating system ? it makes no sense.

Windows 7 is not an old operating system by any standards and it does everything a person needs to do so people will just say, whats the point in wasting money and giving myself a headache dealing with a new similar operating system. Wait and see, sales will be atrocious for a very long time on windows 8, what's the point.
MS should hold off 5-10 years before a new OS and make something really optimized....

Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.

---
Check out my crappy creations
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

19.11.2012 09:47 #10

Hrdrk20

I was checking out laptop computers at Walmart ( not to buy, just looking) and noticed that most of them were running Win8. I dabbled around for awhile and it was something to get use to and will get Win 8 Pro from usual sources and give it a try.

19.11.2012 09:54 #11

Qliphah

I've always been a believer that Windows OS's were never fully optimized until about the 4th service pack. In fact my company will not install 1.0 versions of anything being used on production PCs. And we have traditionally waited until the 3rd service pack to even consider doing upgrades.

Seeing as how they are moving away from that model, and will perhaps never have a stable OS because of it. So by extension my company will NEVER buy another microsoft OS again.

Not that it matters. I see in about 5 years time, everyone will be carrying a tablet. The "office" we have will be a different world all together.

19.11.2012 10:01 #12

rnwilis (unverified)

Originally posted by sapphirescales: I don't know. When you change absolutely EVERYTHING that could be changed in your OS, what do you expect to happen? I'm sure people are going to the store to buy a new PC and are totally put off by Windows 8. "You mean I have to learn a whole new way of doing absolutely everything I know how to do on the computer?! No thanks! I'll go buy a used PC or go with a Mac!" Because with a mac you won't have to relearn everything? Ya right! lol.

Windows 8 is a great OS, and it will be 100x easier for a Windows 7 or XP user to learn Windows 8 over mac. In my opinion Windows 8 is the best OS I have ever used and thre is nothing else out there that is even close. Windows 8 raises the bar pretty high.

Once I set up my start screen the way I want (it is set up killer now) I can get to anything I want in 1-2 clicks. I run two 24" monnitors and use windows media center with a 42" TV in my living room. Best DVR on the market. I play MW3 BF3 and BL2 on it and they all run awesome. Once people get exposed to the OS and leanr it's subtle tricks, people will have no problem migrating to Windows 8. People will be exposed to it via tablet or whatever, and since the UI is the same, have no problems moving to the desktop. I love it on the desktop.

19.11.2012 10:19 #13

rnwilis (unverified)

Originally posted by Hrdrk20: I was checking out laptop computers at Walmart ( not to buy, just looking) and noticed that most of them were running Win8. I dabbled around for awhile and it was something to get use to and will get Win 8 Pro from usual sources and give it a try. If you give it more than a glancing chance, you will like it. It is fast and slick, and generally a joy to use.

19.11.2012 10:22 #14

Mr_Bill06

Really? There gonna blame PC manufactures, wow. No it has nothing to do with a ton of different versions or that it's more geared towards touch screen use. Microsoft never does anything wrong everybody else does though.

rnwilis, I did an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, and pretty much within a few hours I had restored back to Windows 7. A lot of features I use in 7 are missing, gone, or abandoned in Windows 8. MS should have let use use Windows 8 without the metro or whatever there calling it now. The fact that many programs popped up to replace the start orb means a lot of people are not ready to give it up. I think Windows 9 will bring us the balance that I wish they had in Windows 8. With that I mean do you want a touch optimized experience or the classic mouse and keyboard experience.

19.11.2012 13:01 #15

ddp

cart0181, watch the idiot calling as we are not all idiots, just some are & we don't want to upset those.

19.11.2012 14:00 #16

buddyleem

Stop the tears ! Learn something new it won't kill u . Ingot it for 15 bucks . I'll try it

Hack a bit, invest a bit, work a bit, jerk a bit

19.11.2012 18:30 #17

cart0181

Originally posted by ddp: cart0181, watch the idiot calling as we are not all idiots, just some are & we don't want to upset those. hehe...

19.11.2012 21:57 #18

Emudude

My computers did not meet the $15 requirements, but Windows 8 went on sale where I work for $69.99. I got it, but won't install it until much later. So far to me, it is very Frustrating. I work at a Retail Military store, and Microsoft makes you jump through too many hoops to set the computer up for a new user. 2 minutes with Windows 7, about 15-20 Minutes with Windows 8. I think it sucks. Windows ME and Vista were less annoying.

20.11.2012 23:18 #19

bdaleypsu

Duh! Microsoft, no one wants this crap on a PC or laptop. It's designed for a touchscreen - they shouldn't be forcing a touchscreen/tablet interface on users with a desktop or laptop. Arrogant morons at MS.

I evaluated it on my desktop PC with a 22" monitor and it was a HORRIBLE experience. I went running back to Win7.

They need to make the metro/modern or whatever they call it interface removable for non-touchscreen devices and allow users to use the traditional windows desktop with the start button if they want.

I know there are third-party apps that do this, but we shouldn't have to use those to get a decent interface.

24.11.2012 03:34 #20

bdaleypsu

Originally posted by rnwilis: Originally posted by sapphirescales: I don't know. When you change absolutely EVERYTHING that could be changed in your OS, what do you expect to happen? I'm sure people are going to the store to buy a new PC and are totally put off by Windows 8. "You mean I have to learn a whole new way of doing absolutely everything I know how to do on the computer?! No thanks! I'll go buy a used PC or go with a Mac!" Because with a mac you won't have to relearn everything? Ya right! lol.

Windows 8 is a great OS, and it will be 100x easier for a Windows 7 or XP user to learn Windows 8 over mac. In my opinion Windows 8 is the best OS I have ever used and thre is nothing else out there that is even close. Windows 8 raises the bar pretty high.

Once I set up my start screen the way I want (it is set up killer now) I can get to anything I want in 1-2 clicks. I run two 24" monnitors and use windows media center with a 42" TV in my living room. Best DVR on the market. I play MW3 BF3 and BL2 on it and they all run awesome. Once people get exposed to the OS and leanr it's subtle tricks, people will have no problem migrating to Windows 8. People will be exposed to it via tablet or whatever, and since the UI is the same, have no problems moving to the desktop. I love it on the desktop.

Glad you're happy with it. I feel it's garbage.

24.11.2012 03:38 #21

aldan

well it seems that microsoft is fast embracing the "apple way".there is an old saying:you shit in your bed,now lie in it.i think things are going to smell for ms as this progresses.the biggest pain in the ass here is listening to people tell me whats good for me.

24.11.2012 13:25 #22

ddp

do what you want not what others want you what they do.

24.11.2012 13:47 #23

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