I’ve written [...] that Microsoft averaged 20 million Windows 7 license sales per month over that OS’s three-year life span.[…] if you go back to the firm’s previous [...] Windows 8 sales figure, from January 8, you’ll find that Microsoft claimed to have sold 60 million licenses at that time, three months into the OS’s lifecycle. Three times 20 million is 60 million—right on schedule.
But 100 million in 6 months, alas, is just 16.7 million licenses per month. Worse, if you're looking just at the three months since the last milestone, it’s only 13.3 million licenses per month. This means that Windows 8 experienced a temporary bump in its first quarter of sales because of the normal launch bump, but also because of a temporary upgrade offer during which Windows 8 Pro Upgrade could be had for next to nothing. Since then, Windows 8 license sales have fallen off sharply.
[...]I’ve also pointed out that because Windows 8 targets a much bigger potential market than did Windows 7—which is to say, PCs plus hybrid PCs plus tablets plus other devices, instead of just PCs[…] it should be much higher, especially considering the growth rate in the tablet market in particular. So, 16.7 million per month, let alone 13.3 million, just isn’t cutting it.
[…]Windows 8 is obviously a long-term play, and the story is still unfolding. This level of sales going forward—or, worse, the downward trend suggested by these numbers—is not acceptable. For now, we’re in a wait-and-see mode.