Microsoft believes Windows 8 sales are already going stronger than those those of Windows 7-- the company reveals Windows 8 licenses already total 40 million since the end October 2012 launch.
These are the first Windows 8 sales figures since CEO Steve Ballmer said Microsoft sold 4m Windows 8 upgrades in 4 days. For history's sake, Microsoft sold 60m Windows 7 licenses in the first 2 months following launch back in 2009.
One has to keep in mind the reality of the above figures-- Microsoft refers to license numbers, not how many Windows 8 copies belong to customers. Meaning a (possibly large) percentage of those 40m Windows 8 copies went to OEMs and PC makers.
Microsoft also fails to provide Surface with Windows RT talbet sales figures.
Interestingly a few days ago Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows claimed Microsoft is unhappy with the "inability to deliver" of PC and looks to shake its OEM partnerships by expanding its retail strategy further. If this is the case, it ties in with a recent Financial Times report saying Microsoft will open stores in Europe should its US outlets deliver.
Questions regarding the departure of Windows unit president Steven Sinofsky still linger on...
Meanwhile Distimo has some numbers regarding the Windows Store, the software online marketplace opened in conjunction with the Windows 8 launch. According to the analyst the store offers 21183 apps (by 22 November 2012) covering desktop, tablet and smartphone apps, with paid apps making just 14% of total apps on offer.
Microsoft does say "a number of apps in the Windows Store have crossed the $25,000 revenue mark and the developer keeps 80% of the revenue they make off downloads for the life of their app."
Go Windows 8-- 40m Licenses Sold
Go Distimo