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Microsoft hopes to sell 16 million Windows tablets during the holidays

Microsoft is hoping to boost sales of Windows tablets this holiday season with better marketing and retail efforts.

To do so it will reportedly focus on making it clear what products it has on the market, as confusion over Windows OS versions is turning off some potential buyers. Right now there are products running Windows RT, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.



There is also confusion over the hardware on the market. Microsoft will market Windows 8.1 as "the new Windows" to make it clear its the latest version of its consumer OS.

It will increase its spending on Windows retail to $405 million - up from $241 million - going the "store within a store" route that is followed by competitors like Apple.

Customers who buy Windows touch devices this holiday season will also get $25 gift cards for the Windows, Windows Phone or Xbox online stores.

It's primary goal is to sell 16 million Windows tablets during the busy holiday period, but it will also market its Windows 8.1 PCs as the "only PCs with touch," while also distributing a USB-based Windows 8.1 upgrade kit to retailers since only 20 percent of PCs shipped will have it installed.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 2 Nov 2013 3:01

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• 8 comments

• SomeBozo

  Good luck. Win 8 most people hated, some love it, most developers I know and many of the reviews by many companies don't like Win 8. So Win 8.1 is just Win 8 with a start button? Big deal... A little too optimistic I might argue. Anyone like to wager a bet? I say M$ won't get more than a million or 2 at the most over the holidays.
  
  

  2.11.2013 04:53 #1

• aldan

  im thinking the mseeple will buy about 3.5 million.
  

  2.11.2013 04:59 #2

• SomeBozo

  Originally posted by aldan: im thinking the mseeple will buy about 3.5 million. Ah, great point, forgot how deep M$ pockets are, and how deceptive M$ might be.... Heck now that you mention it, I'm thinking they may actually sell 20 million (wink wink) :)
  
  

  2.11.2013 05:16 #3

• aldan

  nudge,nudge.lol
  

  2.11.2013 05:17 #4

• ddp

  15,999,999.
  

  2.11.2013 11:47 #5

• aldan

  hopes,dreams,and reality.and never the twain shall meet.
  

  2.11.2013 12:39 #6

• Jemborg

  Friend of mind found that v8.1 redid everything on his poot. Even buggered up the cracked games he had installed. So he went back to his old v8 setup via a restore image.
  
  And by "friend of mine" I actually mean friend of mine and not me.
  

  Its a lot easier being righteous than right.
  
  
  

  2.11.2013 12:46 #7

• aldan

  hahaha,thanks for clearing that one up.
  

  2.11.2013 13:00 #8