Tony Bradley, a Principal Analyst from the Bradley Strategy Group had this to say:
I understand Thurrott’s point, and I agree with it to some extent, but I don’t think it’s the crux of the problem for Windows 8. I think average consumers are conditioned somewhat that PCs should be under $1,000 and that capable laptops should be available for less than $500—however, I think that even if there were a plethora of inexpensive hardware options out there Windows 8 would still be lagging.
…The “slow” Windows 8 sales are more a function of what a dramatic overhaul it is for the Windows platform, and a testament to the success of Windows 7. In my opinion, Microsoft knows that Windows 8 is a “stepping stone” OS toward its vision for the future– a future that probably won’t come completely to fruition until Windows 10. In that future, the definition and price of PCs may be very different, and the effect netbooks have had on consumer expectations may be less relevant.”
Dr Bay Arinze from Windows8Enterprise.com chimed in:
Sales of Windows notebooks slid over the holiday sales period because tablet sales cannibalized those of notebooks. Microsoft and its hardware partners also appeared ill-prepared with few systems available and few channels to sell them through.
A good example was Microsoft’s clearly belated and half-hearted deal to sell Surface RT systems at Best Buy and Staples. Also Microsoft and its partners convertible systems, including the Surface, were too expensive to compete.
It is also clear that at least anecdotally, more than a few intended notebook and tablet buyers chose to sit on the sidelines and wait for Surface Pro systems.
All well and good.
After some thought, I think I came up with 4 major reasons why Windows 8 didn’t do well over the holiday season.
Microsoft and Windows 8
If sales of Windows were flat over the holidays and other platforms had robust sales, it seems to me that we need to examine whether the actual software had a part to play in the mess.
There are factors that have been discussed ad nauseam about Windows 8 which could have driven consumers away.
- Windows 7 still rocks
- New UI
- No Start Menu
- Inability to start in desktop
- Confusion over Windows RT
- Low number of apps in the app store
- Lack of a “killer, must have app”
- Word of mouth
and on and on that list goes…
Surely those factors must play a part in the decisions that consumers made (en masse) over the holiday season.
With all of the tentative and semi-negative buzz about Windows 8 during the holiday season, it makes sense to me that consumers would pause before rushing out to buy Windows 8 devices.
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