Sci/Tech After 15 months, Windows 8 has sold 100 million fewer copies than Windows 7 did

tom_mai78101

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While consumers are certainly still buying Windows 8, the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft is not getting the same amount of love as Windows 7 did. That seems to be the general consensus, but now there’s data straight from the horse’s mouth to back that claim: at 15 months, Windows 8 sold 100 million fewer licenses than Windows 7 did, according to Microsoft’s own sales figures.

Microsoft today revealed that Windows 8 has passed the 200 million mark. The two operating systems grew at the same rate for their respective first six months, but then at some point things slowed down for Windows 7′s successor.

We can’t say when exactly the slowdown occurred because Microsoft didn’t share any new Windows 8 sales numbers between 100 million (six months) and 200 million (15 months). We can, however, point out that 2013 saw the worst yearly decline in PC shipments ever, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Microsoft wasn’t eager to update anyone at 12 months. What we do know is broken down below.

Windows 7 launched on October 22, 2009. In October 2010, Microsoft revealed that it had sold over 240 million Windows 7 licenses in the operating system’s first year, and in January 2011 that number grew to 300 million at the 15-month mark.

Read more here.
 

Accname

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Not surprising. And I doubt the microsoft executives are surprised either.
Windows 8 is something completely new, its like a prototype of their next generation. It is to be expected that the prototype always does poorly.
On the other hand, windows 7 is just like all the other windows versions before, just more polished and better. Its the ultimate evolution level of windows 95.
 

The Helper

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This is because Windows 8 Sucks on the Desktop and has like zero presence in the Mobile Market. The 8.1 Upgrade is like a 800 meg download.
 

PurgeandFire

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I think it is a step in the right direction. It is very new, but it is getting closer to competing with OS X. I still might use Windows over OS X in a desktop setting (it depends on what I'm doing), but OS X's laptop experience is a whole level above Windows (it isn't too fair to compare the two though, because Apple make their own special laptops, so they have a bit more liberty. atm Samsung competes decently with their Windows laptops & touch control, but it still isn't quite there). Windows 8 is narrowing the gap, even if it isn't selling as much. At least it has more potential.

As for the article, I'm not too surprised. Windows 7 came during a different time, and it's predecessor was Vista--which had mostly a bad reputation. I'm not surprised people upgraded away from it. :p
 
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