[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Windows 8 not boosting PC sales, NPD says here

[Xach]

First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8. I use Windows 8 and like it, lots of others do too. Don't put all your eggs in one basket PC World, you may be forced into writing positive things about windows 8 in the near future. I got the title for you "Why PC World was wrong about Windows 8"

That being said Who does not test the water before jumping in the pool? I did. I bought a new computer for my office took that 14.99 upgrade offer strait home and installed it on my home PC. I love It and I definitely could teach people in my office to use this operating system.

I would have paid the full 99 for the OEM version. The next laptop i buy will have windows 8 and I'm going to love it too. I like how Microsoft is thinking about its products. Microsoft is no longer trying to force money out of me to stream/download music on the Zune system now they let me do it for free with windows 8. I like the smart DJ system. Installed 3 old hard drives did a music search on them and put it all in one library and it collected all my music and labeled it by artist and i can run smart DJs off my music collection. I think its all kind of cool.

I think there is too much to like to be pushing this much hate.

[marcopolo808080]

I'm not sure if Microsoft has quite figured out that every product they put out is not a great piece of software. Windows XP was a great OS, and 7 is decent. I wouldn't let my dog use Vista, and have similar thoughts regarding 8. Reality is, most PC users do not need these Taj Mahal like programs; we need something for basic internet access, office suite, and email applications, period. We aren't producing movies, operating a recording studio, or running a Fortune 500 Company.

Maybe this is why Microsoft stock has been in the doldrums for the last few years.

[Greywoof]

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First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8. I use Windows 8 and like it, lots of others do too. Don't put all your eggs in one basket PC World, you may be forced into writing positive things about windows 8 in the near future. I got the title for you "Why PC World was wrong about Windows 8" That being said Who does not test the water before jumping in the pool? I did. I bought a new computer for my office took that 14.99 upgrade offer strait home and installed it on my home PC. I love It and I definitely could teach people in my office to use this operating system. I would have paid the full 99 for the OEM version. The next laptop i buy will have windows 8 and I'm going to love it too. I like how Microsoft is thinking about its products. Microsoft is no longer trying to force money out of me to stream/download music on the Zune system now they let me do it for free with windows 8. I like the smart DJ system. Installed 3 old hard drives did a music search on them and put it all in one library and it collected all my music and labeled it by artist and i can run smart DJs off my music collection. I think its all kind of cool. I think there is too much to like to be pushing this much hate.

[BulldogXX]

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First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8.....

<lol> Looks like you hit all the talking points that Microsoft gave you. Hope they make it worth your while.

[Greywoof]

@marcopolo - Microsoft employee, contractor, or shill?

[Greywoof]

@marcopolo - meant that for Xach

[djnforce9]

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I'm not sure if Microsoft has quite figured out that every product they put out is not a great piece of software. Windows XP was a great OS, and 7 is decent. I wouldn't let my dog use Vista, and have similar thoughts regarding 8. Reality is, most PC users do not need these Taj Mahal like programs; we need something for basic internet access, office suite, and email applications, period. We aren't producing movies, operating a recording studio, or running a Fortune 500 Company. Maybe this is why Microsoft stock has been in the doldrums for the last few years.

To Windows 8's credit, it works well with hardware that ran fine on Windows 7. Vista broke support for all sorts of legacy hardware due to the drastic changes it introduced coupled with the hardware manufacturers lack of preparedness for the new OS (most notably Creative Labs and their Live and even X-Fi sound cards which weren't even recognized as a valid audio device in Vista when it was first released). Then there was all sorts of other nonsense Vista had such as throttling your net connection when playing a media file amongst other issues and the overly aggressive UAC system that was not fleshed out until Windows 7 because it would prompt multiple times during a single installation.

The only problem with 8 is that part of the UI is drastically changed and takes some getting used to (Especially if you don't have a touchscreen). Likewise, certain features are on when they should be off by default such as the "lock screen". Under the hood, it's vastly superior to 7.

[fins2thright]

Two things from the NPD report that were left out of this article:

Windows 8 initial four week launch sales include the time period of October 21 – November 17, 2012.

“The bad Back-to-School period left a lot of inventory in the channel, which had a real impact on the initial sell-through rates for Windows 8,” said Baker. “The strong performance of Windows 8 notebooks with touchscreens, where Windows 8 truly shines, offers some reason for optimism. These products accounted for 6 percent of Windows 8 notebook sales at an average price of $867 helping to re-establish a premium segment to the Windows consumer notebook market.”

[fins2thright]

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Two things from the NPD report that were left out of this article: Windows 8 initial four week launch sales include the time period of October 21 – November 17, 2012. “The bad Back-to-School period left a lot of inventory in the channel, which had a real impact on the initial sell-through rates for Windows 8,” said Baker. “The strong performance of Windows 8 notebooks with touchscreens, where Windows 8 truly shines, offers some reason for optimism. These products accounted for 6 percent of Windows 8 notebook sales at an average price of $867 helping to re-establish a premium segment to the Windows consumer notebook market.”

An astute reader would note that the dates used for the analysis exclude Black Friday and Cyber-Monday, the largest electronics sales period of the quarter, and they include the weeks before, which are historically slow sales periods. It may not be biased reporting, but it sure is shoddy.

[Jameshoqh]

We can argue all we want if Win8 is a good OS or not. The truth is people vote with their dollars, and that will be the final answer. All the other stuff is worthless drivel.

[jazzy007]

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We can argue all we want if Win8 is a good OS or not. The truth is people vote with their dollars, and that will be the final answer. All the other stuff is worthless drivel.

True, but the title of the article says "Windows 8 not boosting PC Sales, NPD says" and then talk about how sales are down and use the 27 days before Black Friday. October 21 (Windows 8 came on October 26) thru November 17. Wouldn't this be a bias article? If people are waiting for Black Friday, November 23 to start their shopping, who in their right mind will buy before that day?

This tell me that market research firm NPD group does not know how to do research. They just wanted to be the first with some numbers concerning Windows 8. Worst is Ian Paul, that instead of doing some comment sense and reading the report by NPD and doing a little more research, he just wrote this article.

Ian, wouldn't be better if you notice this report does not give any worthy information and just bypass this completely? Does your integrety worth nothing? Or, you just hate Microsoft? Or it's your boss pushing to write something that increase click on PCWorld website? Isn't there any writer with real integrety at PCWorld?

[ronin7752]

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First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8. I use Windows 8 and like it, lots of others do too. Don't put all your eggs in one basket PC World, you may be forced into writing positive things about windows 8 in the near future. I got the title for you "Why PC World was wrong about Windows 8" That being said Who does not test the water before jumping in the pool? I did. I bought a new computer for my office took that 14.99 upgrade offer strait home and installed it on my home PC. I love It and I definitely could teach people in my office to use this operating system. I would have paid the full 99 for the OEM version. The next laptop i buy will have windows 8 and I'm going to love it too. I like how Microsoft is thinking about its products. Microsoft is no longer trying to force money out of me to stream/download music on the Zune system now they let me do it for free with windows 8. I like the smart DJ system. Installed 3 old hard drives did a music search on them and put it all in one library and it collected all my music and labeled it by artist and i can run smart DJs off my music collection. I think its all kind of cool. I think there is too much to like to be pushing this much hate.

Translated: "I like it, therefore, everyone else should like it, too."

You can always spot the IT narcissists.

[IT4all]

No surprise. More to the point business will never use it. So the fan boys may rave but the rest of us don't care for it.
It's pushing me towards Linux Mint and Zoran 6.
Win 8 is another still born MS creation like Vista. Just that no one wants to call time of death yet.

[hotonehere]

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@marcopolo - Microsoft employee, contractor, or shill?

So anybody says anything good about MS, has to be a employee, contractor or shill. But yet when anyone says anything about Apple, Google or any other company that compete with MS they're not a employee or shill! You right, their hater's!!!!!

[hotonehere]

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Maybe this is why Microsoft stock has been in the doldrums for the last few years.

So all those years they made nothing but money don't mean nothing? Google stock is higher than MS, but who made more money and have more money between the two? How much money did Google give back to it's stock holders? This was the first time over a decade that Apple gave money back to it's stock holders.

[toothie007]

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First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8..... &lt;lol&gt; Looks like you hit all the talking points that Microsoft gave you. Hope they make it worth your while.

So let me guess. If some one likes windows 8, they must have been paid off? So I suppose that you with your over inflated sense of self is now in control of what others should think. Good to know. Your position only shows your intellectual short comings in my mind however. You hate it. So everyone else must hate it. What gave you the right to decide for everyone else?

[max999]

After using the 3 previews I think Windows 8 will probably hurt PC sales. The word is getting out now to the general public and most will wait for Windows 9.

[icpaul]

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If people are waiting for Black Friday, November 23 to start their shopping, who in their right mind will buy before that day? This tell me that market research firm NPD group does not know how to do research...Worst is Ian Paul, that instead of doing some comment sense and reading the report by NPD and doing a little more research, he just wrote this article... Does your integrety worth nothing? Or, you just hate Microsoft?

It may surprise you to know that I actually don't hate any technology companies. And I am also not sure how you missed this sentence: "Baker noted that the holiday shopping season, which began last Friday, could boost Windows 8 sales as gift buyers look to put shiny new laptops and tablets under the tree this year."

[Xach]

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First of all PCworld.com needs to think of 10 positive things it can say about Windows 8..... &lt;lol&gt; Looks like you hit all the talking points that Microsoft gave you. Hope they make it worth your while.

Alas I'm just a humble hearing aid dispenser.

But being in marketing myself its always the complainers that have the loudest voice. So is important to me as a very satisfied customer to express that view point. Windows 8 is getting alt of negativity even though it solves all of the problems I have with using tablets. The largest of which is I actually don't want a tablet because I want a toy. Do you know with a windows 8 tablet I can fit hearing aid, I can do a hearing test? You can't do that with the toys we keep getting from apple and android. Yes they are nice. My wife had an ipad she likes it. She even manages to do some productive things on it for our business. We did not buy it however it was given to is by our manufacturer...... And at that point I did not want it so she confiscated it.

Any way we will see what happens. I'm going to put in a good word for Microsoft they made a very functional operating system. And I'll work with my manufacturers to see what will and well nor work with windows 8.