Initial uptake of Windows 8 described as ‘ultimately disappointing’

Windows 8 is finally here but sales aren’t what Microsoft was hoping for with initial levels of adoption being described as ‘ultimately disappointing’ by one Microsoft employee. 

The new platform, launched alongside Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet and the company’s new phone OS, Windows Phone 8, was designed as a true hybrid platform – one that aimed to bridge the gap between tablets and traditional PC devices via the inclusion of its touch-centric Modern UI. 

That was always going to be a big ask, even for a company the size of Microsoft. Opinions have been predictably divided over Windows 8 and Microsoft's new direction as a company. But with Windows 8 now out in the wild it'll be up to consumers to decide its fate. 

So how's it doing? 

Paul Thurott’s Supersite for Windows has apparently talked to a Microsoft employee who says that sales numbers for the new OS are ultimately disappointing, reports SlashGear. 

PC shipments have been in a steady decline for quiet some time now, losing ground consistently to tablets and smartphones. Within this context lower than expected adoption rates are hardly surprising. Even more so when you consider just how drastic a change Windows 8 is from Windows 7. 

Thurott’s report is strictly off the record, with no names given, so at present this story is little more than conjecture. Microsoft has not yet commented on sales for its new operating system in an official capacity but did confirm that initial sales of its Windows RT-powered Surface tablet have been ‘modest.’

Until Microsoft releases official stats on Windows 8 adoption it’s impossible to gage whether or not the platform has been a success or not. It’s also worth noting that Windows 8 is just one aspect of the company's newly outed Windows platform – nowadays it's all about the ecosystem: phone, PC, tablet, and console.

Microsoft's collective ecosystem is based around its ‘Windows core’ and includes Windows Phone 8, Windows RT, and, via the magic of SmartGlass, its Xbox gaming console. 

So even if you’re not sold on Windows 8 it’s still hard to fault Microsoft when you take into account what it’s achieved in the last year – Xbox Music, Windows Phone 8, SmartGlass, and the Windows core. 

Only time will tell with this one, but we’re liking what Microsoft is attempting to do with its resources and software – even if the initial results are a little off the mark at first.