Microsoft officials have indicated that Windows 8 has surpassed the 100 million licenses sold milestone.
If true, this number would put it on par with similar numbers for Windows 7.
“If there had been more touch devices in the market, it would have been even more,” said Tami Reller, the Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft’s Windows client team. That said, “our sell-through has been consistently going up,” Reller added.
Some important caveats (from Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet):
Microsoft’s “licenses sold” numbers are “sell in” numbers. That means these figures include sales of licenses to OEMs, as well as Windows 8 upgrades. They don’t include copies of Windows 8 sold via volume-licensing agreements. The “licenses sold” numbers may or may not also include Windows RT license numbers. (Microsoft officials won’t say.)
The minute that a PC rolls off the manufacturing line with a new version of Windows on it, it is counted as a “license sold,” Reller explained.
It’s worth repeating that Microsoft’s “licenses sold” numbers are totally different from usage share data. Based on usage statistics from various firms, Windows 8 still lags substantially both Windows 7 and Windows XP, in terms of usage at the moment. Microsoft officials declined to provide usage share data for Windows 8.
Mrs Reller also committed Microsoft to more aggressive sales this holiday season.
Expect to see bloggers go through these numbers a lot more thoroughly over the coming days.
What do you think of Microsoft’s 100 million sales number?
All Comments
Still don’t have it on any of our 4 PCs, excluding the iPad. No plans to do so in the short to medium term….
Installing Win 8 on a non-touch screen doesn’t make any sense so I can understand why people don’t upgrade. But Reller is correct. If there would be more touch-screen options by more manufacturers, more people would purchase a new Win 8 device. This lack of choices is the reason I’m holding back and several of my friends and clients. There just isn’t the choice available and each have their flaws (including Surface). We are waiting for them to fix the obvious flaws with the next version. One of my clients just gave up waiting and purchased a Win 7 laptop.
I disagree that installing Win 8 on a non-touch screen doesn’t make any sense. I use it in both touch and non-touch situations. I agree that you don’t get nearly as much out of the ‘Modern’ interface if you don’t have a touch screen. But there are plenty of improvements to the OS itself that make it worthwhile even without touch. Even so, in a business situation, I think that waiting – at least for Blue – is a smart choice.
I stand corrected. After your reply to my post, I asked one of the friendly salesman at my local Windows store and he explained how he installed Windows 8 on his desktop and how he gets around using a mouse. He showed me how he gets the charms menu and a few other things. Although I would still have a preference for a touch screen, I can see how it can be useable with a mouse. You certainly have to be dedicated and convinced you want to learn Windows 8 that way.
I use it with and without touch. Either way, I prefer it to Win7. But, I also find that I am using my mouse less and less on my touch PC, and find the lack of touch with Win 7 frustrating at times.
“Claims” and “If True…” It must be your job to be disrespectful. It wasn’t Microsoft talking, it was Reller, a person, like all of us, that deserves to be treated fairly.
I must disagree with “caveats” as it is the same way Win7 was counted and that is what is being compared.
I think a lot more of their sales then I do of this articles condescending tone.
For more perspective
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1409671-microsoft-announces-100-million-windows-8-licenses-sold-behind-the-numbers
“Claims” and “If True…” It must be your job to be disrespectful. It wasn’t Microsoft talking, it was Reller, a person, like all of us, that deserves to be treated fairly.
I must disagree with “caveats” as it is the same way Win7 was counted and that is what is being compared.
I think a lot more of their sales then I do of this articles condescending tone.
For more perspective
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1409671-microsoft-announces-100-million-windows-8-licenses-sold-behind-the-numbers