During an annual Microsoft shareholders meeting today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer spoke about Windows 8 and how the operating system has sold 40 million licenses in just one month since its launch on October 26th. On top of that, Ballmer stated that the company “knows for sure” that Windows 8 users “get it and like it.”
“We know for sure that people get it, and like it. This is a new race, and it’s a new era for us,” Ballmer stated during the annual shareholders meeting. During the meeting, Ballmer answered questions and remained vague, yet positive, in his answers. When asked about Microsoft’s competitiveness against Apple and Google, Ballmer responded by saying, “We see nothing but a sea of upside!” In reference to Windows 8, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Office, Ballmer had this to say, “It’s a tough competitive market out there, and we certainly think that with the products that we and our partners are delivering to market … we have an opportunity.” When asked why Microsoft didn’t jump into the tablet market sooner, Ballmer responded by saying, “Sometimes getting innovation right across hardware and software is difficult unless you do both of them.” In just one month since its official launch, Windows 8 has sold over 40 million licenses, according to an announcement from Microsoft. Not only that, but Windows 8 is also outpacing Windows 7 in terms of upgrades. Back in October, we learned from an annual shareholder letter from Microsoft, that the company promotes itself as a “devices and services company” according to CEO Steve Ballmer. According to Ballmer, devices and services impact the way the company is run and how new experiences are developed, and the Xbox platform is at the heart.
Further reading: Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, Windows 8
