At the JP Morgan Tech Forum hosted at CES, Windows Chief Financial and Chief Marketing Officer Tammi Reller revealed that Microsoft has sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses since the operating system's launch in October 2012.
However, this number isn't a reflection of the OS's success, or of how many people have adopted Windows 8. Instead, the 60 million figure includes the number of licenses sold, upgrades, and sales to OEMs.
Microsoft's price promotion for Windows 8 upgrades--$39.99, or a mere $14.99 for users who purchased a Windows PC in mid-2012—no doubt helped boost sales.
Though Windows 8's figures are certainly impressive and match Windows 7's (which were around the 60 million mark about two months into its sales), its launch hasn't boosted the PC market. Instead, NPD reports that Windows 8's launch did little to help notebook sales, which has continued to decline.