Microsoft: Windows 8 Was Never Going To Be Explosive On First Weekend

While Windows 8 is yet to totally take off, at least when you compare its performance with Windows 7, the slow pick up of the latest OS is not something entirely unexpected — at least to Microsoft. The reason being the big number of changes the new OS brings.

Microsoft’s senior product director for Windows UK and Ireland, Rob Epstein, confirmed to The Channel what most of us already know. He was talking about the company’s effort to improve relations with retailers that were expecting Windows 8 to skyrocket from the first day in the market:

“[The new OS was an] ambitious change and people have different levels of comfort with change, Windows 8 was never going to be explosive on its first weekend.”

In other words, it is no surprise that Windows 8 is attracting users this slowly.

Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer at Microsoft wore a similar pattern a couple of days back when she said that people were finally getting used to the company’s latest OS:

“They get started with success. On the very first day, virtually everyone launches an app from the Start screen, finds the desktop, and finds the charms. Almost half of users go to the Windows Store on that first day.”

So after months on the market, the sweeping changes made to the user interface remain the big talking point, even as several companies are enjoying great success developing third-party solutions that bring back a Start button on their Windows 8 PCs.

Through it all, though, Microsoft is not worried all that much — according to Redmond it is only a matter of time before this new UI matures and everybody discovers the goodies that come with the Start Screen. The sales and increased market share will become evident in the coming months.