Microsoft have announced that 40M Windows 8 licenses have been sold in the opening month, more than the previous operating system, Windows 7.
With the wide variety of OEM partners trying to make their own perfect version of the Windows 8 experience, we can see why so many licenses have been sold. That and companies like Levono are just breaking into the US and European markets.
Microsoft have announced this amidst a time where many seem to think Windows 8 is struggling. Reviews of the new touch-optimized operating system seem good, although users have had problems with the Start menu. It seems that while Windows has been, for a generation, the simple OS, it is now more complex.
Most of these licenses have come from the OEM partners that are making laptops, tablets and PC’s with Windows 8. According to analysts, Windows 8 adoption rate from Windows 7 is rather poor, compared to XP/Vista to Windows 7 adoption rate.
Nevertheless, Microsoft announcements seem to say that Windows 8 is staggering forward, like its juggernaut father Windows 7.
Microsoft are still to announce any figures of Windows RT or Surface sales, and we can see why they are holding back from releasing those numbers. With a poor reception of the Windows Surface and not many buyers, we expect that Windows RT and Surface are two of the stats that Microsoft are least pleased about.
We are yet to see any truly good Windows RT device on the market, and Asus have already said with Surface’s mixed reception they have held back their Windows RT device. Problems are that the ecosystem is barren and users will not find the app selection they can on Android and iOS.
Forty million licenses on the opening month is a good hit in any respect, and even though Windows 8 may not be the most liked operating system, many will have to move to it eventually.