Thursday, December 27, 2012
Microsoft's Windows 8 not driving PC sales
Labels:
NEW PRODUCTS,
TECH WORLD
Industry analysts said Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 8 was not driving U.S. sales of computers in the manner of previous software releases.
Windows 8 first-day sales around the world
With the release of software upgrades in the past, consumers were far
more likely than today to reach into their bank accounts and spend on a
new computer to go with the new operating system, The New York Times
reported Monday.
A combination of factors has sneaked up on computer sales this time
around, including some criticism of the Windows 8, a tight economy and
the popularity of tablets and smartphones, which is stealing some of the
thunder from personal computer sales.
"I think everybody would have hoped for a better start. The thing is,
this market is not the same market that Windows 7 or Vista or even XP
launched into," said industry analyst Stephen Baker at NPD.
"What you're seeing is not a retirement of PCs [personal computers],
but a push-out in the replacement cycle. If people used to buy PCs every
four years and are now buying them every five years, that could lower
PC sales by 20 percent over time. That's substantial," said another
industry analyst, A.M. Sacconaghi at Sanford C. Bernstein.
Microsoft spokesman Mark Martin
declined to comment. Microsoft executives in the past have said
Windows 8 sales are slow because it is such a departure from previous
operating systems.
Reflecting the changing market, however, is Amazon's list of its most
popular electronic products. Only five computers were in the top 100
this week with only one of those offering Windows 8 as an option and one
running Windows 7, the Times said.
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