Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8 has crossed the 200 million mark in license sales.
It’s been a while since the software giant gave us figures for Windows 8 but after being received with mixed feelings, it has now reached the milestone. The last time Microsoft gave figures was in May last year when Windows 8 had reached 100 million.
“Windows 8 has surpassed 200 million licenses sold, and we continue to see momentum.” said a spokesperson for Microsoft.
“This number includes Windows licenses that ship on a new tablet or PC, as well as upgrades to Windows 8. The figure does not include volume license sales to enterprise. Windows is a central part of life for more than 1.5 billion people around the world, and we are looking forward to the future.”
While Microsoft is able to put a positive spin on the achievement, Windows 8 isn’t performing as well as its predecessor, Windows 7. The last version of the operating system reached 240 million sales in just 12 months.
That means Windows 8 is still 40 million off the mark despite being on the market for nearly 16 months.
Microsoft’s numbers for “licenses sold” include sales of licenses to OEMs and upgrades to Windows 8. The number does not include the copies of Windows 8 which are sold via volume-licensing agreements. It’s unclear whether Microsoft’s figures included Windows RT licenses or not as it has refused to clarify.
With many customers not happy with the changes brought in with Windows 8, it is thought that Microsoft will move swiftly onto Windows 9 next year after a releasing Update 1 for Windows 8.1 rather than calling it Windows 8.2.
We’ll get more details on the future of Windows at the firm’s Build conference in April.
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