Microsoft Explains What Went Wrong With Windows 8

years since Windows 8 launched — the October 2012 launch event was held with much fanfare, with Redmond using the New York Times Square to promote its newest operating system that it believed would change the way people interacted with their computers. Now, however, it is clear to everyone, including Microsoft, that Windows 8 did not receive the acceptance and acclaim that was anticipated. And according to Joe Belfiore, it was not as much the lack of the Start Menu or wholesale design and user interface changes that caused so much confusion around the operating system. The slow sales performance was due to the fact that the OS did not align with the ecosystem. This is what he said after the TechEd conference in Spain last week:

“If you look at Windows 8 – where I think we got a lot of technology pieces built that are strong and compelling – it wasn’t all aligned. There wasn’t that wave of hardware that supported the software at the right time, at the right price point, so that software developers can support the OS.”

Microsoft, as you may recall, promised an avalanche of new Windows 8 hardware products, which ultimately did not come to fruition. Several partners decided to cancel or delay the launch of new PCs, laptops and tablets due to the early criticism faced by Windows 8, and it was only after the operating system gained some traction did we start to get new hardware. The situation has improved by fa fair amount these past few months, and Microsoft would want to keep the momentum up leading up to the launch of Windows 10 next year.]]>