Microsoft blames OEMs for slow Windows 8 sales, plans February "relaunch"

A report by The Register reveals that Microsoft blames OEMs for its relatively lackluster Windows 8 sales. Purportedly, Microsoft believes vendors didn't adhere closely enough to its hardware recommendations, producing mostly non-touchscreen computers that didn't showcase Windows 8's touchable side....

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Typical. Blame the OEMs for lack of sales on a product nobody really wanted, released too early in the life cycle of Windows 7, because those OEMs didn't take a huge gamble on touch devices that very few people really want or need... In a marketplace that Microsoft were, themselves, putting up a huge marketing campaign to push the Surface, which was a direct competitor to anything the OEMs might release in that touch tablet/notebook niche where Windows 8 really shines. Except, of course, the Surface RT came out first and completely muddied the Windows 8 marketplace for the average consumer well before Win8's official launch, and the Surface Pro has yet to arrive. (Irony that Microsoft is complaining about OEMs lacking supporting hardware for Win8 when they didn't even manage to get theirs to market in the same timeframe?)

Microsoft still hasn't gotten a clue about how absolutely ridiculous it is to waste money on touch devices for regular desktop computing (particularly corporate scenarios), other than the occasional "all-in-one" type of PC that a small percentage of total consumers actually want. Doesn't matter how much MS wants touch to be the next big thing in PCs, the ergonomics and logistics of touch-based systems tend to be detrimental to typical computer user productivity. Other than the close-up tablet/laptop types of operator scenarios, that is.

Somehow, I doubt a "relaunch" of Windows 8 will make much difference. It may be faster, better in some ways, but it's still "meh" to a huge portion of the existing user base. And, if they intend to keep to their plan for letting the introductory price breaks expire, they'll have even less success trying to force-feed it to consumers at the higher price point.

Sorry Microsoft but there's no way, I would touch Windows 8 with anything. You're blaming those who ship hardware with your OS, yet you don't understand it's not a major interest of people? The only reason it's a major thing, is because many are pushing it on newer PCs instead.

I'd either demand a Windows 7 downgrade or stripped of an OS, or that PC would be sitting on the shelf if offered a Windows 8 machine. Not that I'll even touch a pre-built again Microsoft, so OEMs issues are not my concern.

Rofl, so basically, microsoft is pissed because OEMs arent forcing people to use products that they dont want to use and are overpriced.

Hey, just saying. If people really desperately wanted touch screen PCs for the price they are at, they would buy them.

So the fact the W8 sucks, and that the touch features should have been an optional Media Center extension have nothing to do with W8's doing poorly.

Ike, I touched that up a bit for you. I hope it meets with your approval.

Would be hard to tell this is a rumor judging from the comments.

Meh, who cares. We haven't had a good Micro-bash in a few days. Why let fact or fantasy get in the way of it.?

I just bought a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium as a "keep me for a rainy day OS", to hopefully spare myself from ever buying a copy of Windows 8. So, do you think the M$ board of directors would approve of that? I say, likely not. They'd call me a luddite, and say I was, "holding back progress".

The simple fact of the matter is, nobody in as high a position as a M$ operating chief is going to take the blame for a Windows 8 fail. And s*** rolls downhill.... Now you try and separate fact from rumor.

Have you ever heard or read one of Steve Ballmer's "soundbytes"? They normally reek of delusionality.

I'm actually pretty content using windows 8 with a non-touchscreen laptop. It works prefectly for me, and no touch screen means bigger battery life and lighter design.

Wrong. Windows 7 was released for 3 years which is plenty-enough time..

Wrong again. It is not ridiculous, nor a waste of money. Being able to use a tablet as a PC is actually a great method of computing and the Surface Pro will bring the best of both worlds. Being able to do things that would require two separate devices all in one device is great and it's a shame that you're too blinded to realize that..

Wrong. It doesn't suck and every new radical change will take time to get used to. The same thing happened with Windows 95.

Up to you. If you prefer using an inferior OS, then great. Whatever floats your boat.

Did you just stop by to serially post how right you think you are, and how wrong you think we all are?

'Cause I been here for quite a while and I remember quite a few Vista zealots, with whom you seem to share a common heritage.

Every time M$ releases another OS, they whisper in everybody's ears how fast it is. how it doesn't blue screen, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Guess what, my 8 year old copy of XP SP2, is just as fast as Win 7, and never, ever, puts up a blue screen. And it needs less hardware to run.

Now go play with your monitor full of blocks. It'll be just like never having to hang up your phone.

Oh BTW, I especially like how everybody gives Win 8 the credit for fast boot times, at least as long as you use an SSD with it.

So tell me, Windows installation files keep getting bigger and bigger, and yet so many people buy into the idea that there's less bloat. How does that work? Bill Gates is using Jedi mind tricks on you, maybe?

A friend recently purchased an all-in-one HP Envy (see pic) running windows 8 and asked me to set it up for him, as he couldn't figure out how to use the tiles interface properly!

A quick install of start8 which defaults to the windows desktop and provides start menu functionality and he was up and running in no time.

My 5yr daughter however was eager to use the touch screen side of things before he collected it.
She likes using the bbc cbeebies website for interactive games which I thought was a great showcase for using touchscreen...

5 mins later, she was complaining that things didnt work properly using touch on the website, and that her arm hurt from holding it up to touch the screen! She then promptly reverted to the keyboard and mouse, and was happy for a good hour or so!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iluoisr08em542u/2013-01-01 15.42.31.jpg

No interest from this user in Win 8. It's a radical departure from all the previous OS M$ put out. I don't want to use a touchscreen nor do I wish to rush out and buy one. I have played with tablets - they're mostly toys and not for serious productivity. I have several computers in the house and all work very well. Hardware these days is more than ample for most things. And my gaming has mostly migrated to platform systems like my trusty Xbox. So I have no need to spend more money on a useless OS and hardware I really don't want to get - not to mention additional peripherals that I would have to buy because there are no drivers for my existing ones.

Just this bit to comment on really WIn8 does have a very fast boot with or without an ssd. Its a lot faster than my win7 and winxp boxes with all three running Seagate ST31000524AS drives.

I do prefer win 8 after using in on desktop. Its really easy to get used to a multitasking is as easy as always for me anyway.
Cant say Ive used touch or want to on desktop though

No...He's right. W8 sucks.
Now, Windows95, that was revolutionary...but buggy.

Your trying to argue with someones personal opinion, stop that. You're obviously a supporter for Windows 8, thanks for your input as to why Microsoft is blaming the OEMs for their own shortsightedness. Also find it funny how you point out the inferiority of Windows 7, but don't explain why. Just that anyone who doesn't want to deal with the BS that is Windows 8 is wrong. Lack of experience is quite apparent, if you are in fact a High School student, it really does show. Of which I ask, does your school plan on changing all their PCs to Windows 8? Unlikely because they see no merit in doing so, as like most businesses.

"Hero PCs were 10 hand-picked computers that Microsoft would have had retailers showcase globally. Disappointing sales though forced Microsoft to call off the promotion." Oh man, you know Microsoft is in serious trouble when they can't bankroll 10 PCs. This is such an obvious attempt to point the finger outside their own walls, they just can't accept that people aren't ready to change from what clearly already works and works well. To what can work, just not as efficiently, but requires an investment to get the most out of the OS. Investment being a touch screen. Something I don't want to waste money on yet, if ever. But it's okay, people might forget by the time they re-launch in February...

To ReederOnTheRuns

Good for you!

Jedi mind tricks on you, Bill Gates is?

Well, to paraphrase the late, great, Yogi Berra; "Windows 8 is like Deja Vista all over again".

Windows 8...

My little sister recently purchased a laptop and it unknowingly to her had windows 8 on it. A few days after she bought it, I told her to restart her comp so she could get those windows updates out of the way. I then curiously said "Oh wait, you just use the power button to shut it off huh? Do you even know how to restart yet?

She responded with a offended tone. "uhhhh yea, just move the mouse over here! What do you think I'm stupid?" She uses an iPhone(read simple technology user, very casual).... and she hasn't had a problem using windows 8 yet. I think most of these comments just amount to noise, with very few contributable critiques and opinions.

A little side note. Her laptops screen doesn't have touch, which I found disappointed. I'd like to have seen if that was valuable or just a gimmicky feature.

I upgraded to Windows 8 on my gaming PC after getting a free copy through the Expert Zone. I want to just format and be done with it, but I have too many files I can't be bothered to re-do (Skyrim Mods, game backups etc etc etc)

Until I can be bothered though, Start8 is serving admirably