Microsoft Has Sold 60 Million Windows 8 Licenses

By Catherine Cai
published

Microsoft revealed at CES that it's sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses.

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.

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Catherine Cai
53 Comments Comment from the forums
  • gulmat
    And in other news "Hobo finds 60 millions windows 8 licenses in dumpster!"
    Reply
  • ubercake
    This is clearly an OS for tablets.
    Reply
  • ccovemaker
    ubercakeThis is clearly an OS for tablets.You clearly have never used it.
    Reply
  • internetlad
    as much as everybody on toms likes to parrot everybody else on toms, Win8 isn't a bad OS and, at it's core, is very similar to seven. It makes no sense how some minor tweaks, some enchancements under the hood, metro and a new name and all of a sudden oh it sucks so bad.

    I've been using it on my work pc since launch and encounter something that's different between 7 and 8 maybe twice a day. Other than that it boots faster, runs very similarly and the graphs for data movement speeds and the fleshed out task manager are much nicer than the same old same old that have been present since NT.
    Reply
  • ccovemaker
    It's 7, with fast boot times, built in AV, account syncing bit and other minor tweaks.

    Oh and Metro which you are totally fine with as a desktop user once you use it more than a week.

    Considering what I paid for 7 the $40 for 8 is a deal.
    Reply
  • SchizoFrog
    Also... The comments people make in the negative about 'This isn't sales figures, it's just figures from OEMs'. So what? Microsoft doesn't care where the money comes from. They are just happy that the OS has sold the licences in the first place.
    WP8 still isn't quite there but in a years time I can see MS being in a very, very strong position...
    Reply
  • kellybean
    59,999,998 to OEMs 2 to idiots stupid enough to pay for it and think they are actually upgrading.
    Reply
  • edogawa
    For what I paid it was a very good deal as long as you use Start8 to restore the start menu.

    40$ Windows 8
    5$ Start 8

    So it's basically a faster Windows 7 in the end for half the price. Metro and the lack of Start Menu were the only real disadvantages to Windows 8. I have not had a single game or program not work, so I'm happy in the end.
    Reply
  • ssd_pro
    If the number is comparable to 7, fine. Even that new DoD contract is pretty impressive.

    8 really is 7 with a few features added and a few features limited. In the end, "Metro/Modern" is still cumbersome. It takes a long time to get it working and the transition between "Metro/Modern" and Desktop is not seamless and gives the sense of desperation. The UI isn't really the biggest failure though, it is the activation scheme. If you change your HDD/SSD, it creates problems. Try changing the video card in an upgrade version... major failure. Apple-style lockdown.
    Reply
  • noblerabbit
    just to educate you readers:

    Microsoft has "sold" x Million, let's say 60 for propaganda sake. to Distributors in the channel.

    less than .01% of this 60 million, has actually been sold to any customer with entrepreneurial spirit, as Windows 7 is still outselling Win8, by a ration of at least 1,000,000 : 1
    Reply