Windows PC Sales Down 21% Since Windows 8 Launch

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RealityClash

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I think one of the reasons for this is because manufacturers can't seem to get their ass into gear and bring out half the products they've been advertising for so long. For example I would have already bought an Asus Taichi but its release keeps getting delayed.
It kind of seems to be a bit of a hit or miss with a lot of other devices as well which seem to have rather limited availability, especially here in New Zealand but I've also seen the same sorta thing with a lot of online US retailers too.
 
I quite agree with gardoversoza.
Your averega user might not know very well a windows interface to install drivers and the sort, but that group will be even more scared of a diffrent system layout.
Those that DO know windows well enought will hardly want to change to something that is often called "a tablet OS".

Simply put, a dumb move by Microsoft.
 

diddo

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Maybe because 8 s*** so bad it cannot boost PC sales even with a 1,5B/$ advertising campaign?
And can't convince users to upgrade too, 1% usage share in the wild after 5 weeks from the launch, 1/5 than 7!
 

assasin32

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Could be more than just Windows 8, though the new interface will definately scare a lot of people away.

Netbooks are practically dead minus a few brands which make them. Currently it seems the cheap laptop market is having competition from Samsung Chromebook which is sold out and is #1 on sales on amazon, further down the line are the other Chromebooks and about every Apple Laptop. And from what I've seen on the low end side of laptops/netbooks/etc there isn't too many good options under $500 which from a quick glance seems to account for most of the sales on the best sellers for laptops.

There was especially a lack of good options in the sub $300 department which used to be populated by netbooks. Now all I've seen are Chromebooks and a few netbooks. So I can easily see them losing sales to cheap tablets here. I myself almost went with a cheap tablet but just ordered a chromebook since I couldn't find a way to get a netbook that could compete with the Samsung Chromebook spec wise at the price point. With the limited market in the sub $300 department I had less than 10 laptops I was willing to compare in my budget, where as with tablets I couldn't keep up with all the options I had before me and at all the price points from $80-300 if I wanted to keep a capacitive touch screen and good battery life.

The $300-400 price range seemed like the equivalent to the netbook market a few years ago, a lot of options but lacking in performance but now at a higher price point with the main difference being 11.6in screens and step up from Atom processors to Celerons and low end AMDs. The $400-500 market got significantly better, especially when you found a good deal but it still wasn't perfect but most of what I found definately usable.

This is where I think their downfall is, they aren't trying to fully dominate the low end market and thus are losing out to competitors such as Tablets and to some extent the newer Chromebooks (though I doubt that puts so much as a dent in the numbers). People will go where they see value and currently Windows doesn't seem to capture that budget minded market.
 

halcyon

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All, let's be fair. I know its fun to get on the "Let's bash that guy." bandwagon bug Windows 8 with Stardock's Start 8 is indeed better than Windows 7. More performance AND more options. At $45 ($40 for Windows and $5 for Start 8) its also a pretty good bargain. I was a hard sell myself but after living with and using this duo its clear its a good package. What I think savvy OEM's should do is bundle Start 8 with Windows 8. However, TBH, there's no real motivation to move from Windows 7 if you already have it as the aforementioned duo is just evolutionary. If you must find fault with this its that you shouldn't have to add the awesome Start 8 to the package yourself. Start 8 is not a weak add-on, its quite flawless and quite complete and grants options the old Windows 7 Start menu would be envious of. ...just my 5 cents and I don't work for Stardock.
 

gomerpile

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Why is everyone trying to blame windows 8 or assume as an possiable reason of poor sales, have you thought that people just dont have that kind of money to spread, why buy a new PC or device when most have just bought a new one. The failing ecomony has noting to do with the fact we have no money for new stuff. The record breaking sales of windows 8 is proof that the kids are more important to feed and the high cost of bills are piling up. I'd say, blame the government, they are greedy SOB which is causing a lack of sales and not 8. Reduce the price of the devices to what is reasonable
I am betting more on the ecomony
 

aramisathei

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The headline is a bit misleading given that it's compared to the same point a year ago, rather than the last six-twelve months, or even just a month or two prior.

The article itself states the trend is shifting toward more lightweight devices ["The strong performance of Windows 8 notebooks with touchscreens, where Windows 8 truly shines, offers some reason for optimism,"] so it shouldn't be any surprise that PC sales are down quite a bit from the same point last year--especially with many people still struggling with an economic downturn.

I get that a lot of people don't like Windows 8--nothing wrong with that--but it seems more than a little bias to associate it with a downtroden PC market that wasn't exactly booming before it hit, and make it seem like Windows 8 is the bane of the Windows PC World that will bring the rafters crashing down.

As a point of interest, it'd be interesting to see Apple's desktop sales.
 
G

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"Why is everyone trying to blame windows 8 or assume as an possiable reason of poor sales, have you thought that people just dont have that kind of money to spread, why buy a new PC or device when most have just bought a new one."

Doesn't seem to be bothering Apple much.
 

atikkur

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i would see 50% of the world skipping win8.. they would hold until they see a fix and it's not hard to do, win7 is still fine and new.
 

natoco

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win8 is like buying an ugly car, sure it works but 'daaammmm' its been beaten with the ugly stick from its first inception
For me to upgrade win7 to a new os i want
1- new cpu - twice the single core performance and double the cores of my i7 ie 8 core or whats the point.
2- new mb with pci3 for newer gpu that can do 4k res through 1 cable
3- new 4k monitor
4- dx12 ie win9
When that stuff can be bought at your local store i will be there, and put money into ms's pocket but as for this whole table trend, pffft, i will ust use my phone since they are all the same
 

gomerpile

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What NDP actually said is windows 8 did not lift the pc sales, and the PC and device sales are down 21 percent from last year, the PC and device market stockholders were thinking 8 would lift that market.
The PC's and devices was already down way before 8 hit the market. the first Q PC sales were down.
Dell and others are down 8 percent in the first Q. Apple is the only winner in sales this year
 

drwho1

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Windows 8 on its own won't be pushing any PC sales, not even on the OEM sector.

I'm personally using Windows 8, first thing after install was to install the START button.
So I only saw the silly tiles... ONCE, and never again.
My PC looks and behaves just like Windows 7.

(on the plus side I found that OLD GAMES work better on 8 than they did on 7)

But here is the thing....
Why PC manufactures think that PC customers "need" an NEW PC every year or 2?

I always build my PC's to last me a minimum of 5 years in between builds.
Granted that between that same time period I do a few upgrades to the same build.

But unless its been a major disaster (only happened to me twice in over 20 years)
like the actual motherboard go bad, then I do build a NEW one of course.
 

evga_fan

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Ladiesmen and Gentlewomen, I give to You the ALLMIGHTY W8! This is what you get when you don't listen to your customers. Not to mention, the need to try to "kill" an already, not-that-old, fully functioning OS.
All of these W8 "improvements" could have been done through a bigger service-pack update, rather than forcing customers to buy a new OS (which they're almost giving out for free anyways) and all the hassle that comes with it.
This way they would have shown the kind of commitment and dedication they have for their existing products AND more importantly customers. Rather they pee on everybody and say "no, this is our new focus - deal with it".
 

freggo

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PCs hve become faster and more reliable.
My guess would be that most people simply do not NEED a new PC.
Let's face it, only a small percentage of machines are used in extreme gaming.

No need for Quad GPUs to update Facebook or Twitter.

 

kellybean

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[citation][nom]gardoversoza[/nom]Hey Microsoft, your customers are not dumb like Apple's. If you want to be like Apple, this is what you get![/citation]
Sorry but OS X is really good and the hardware Apple provides for it is really good too.
 

Burodsx

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Since the OS is so great, maybe they'll put it on the XBox 720 too. I mean it does have a thing for your games afterall...
 
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