Not really. As there were no, or very few, Windows 8 tablets or phones available at launch (actually, that's Windows RT rather than Windows 8) it is hardly surprising that sales there are relatively low. I think you have to give it six months or a year for that market to be established before you could make a sensible comparison. The desktop market, on the other hand, is long established for both Microsoft and Apple so the comparison there is relevant.

I think current estimates of iOS sales are somewhere in the region of 400-500 million over its lifetime. That's 5 years worth of sales. Even there I think 40 million in 4 weeks compares quite well. But I don't think it's a relevant comparison until Windows RT on mobile devices has had time to establish itself.

In reply to a post by AEP:

Most sales are with new PCs

Precisely, and imo those sales should be discounted in judging the success or otherwise of Win8- the buyers don't have a realistic option. It's a bit like calling income tax a success because (nearly) everybody pays it

I'd apply the same criterion in the Mac world, I'm not sure I'd class Lion (and Mountain Lion) as a success. For those who had the choice, I get the real impression that a fair proportion of Snow Leopard users looked at it carefully and, like me, decided to stay where they were!

It's a bit like calling income tax a success because (nearly) everybody pays it.

But Income Tax is a huge success! It does the job it is intended to very well and brings in a huge income for the State. You might not like it, but that's another matter.

Talking about what's fair or not, and whether the buyers have a realistic option, is irrelevant. This is business.

You keep backing up my point. Windows 8 will, ipso facto be a success because of the near monopoly that Microsoft have of the market. Fair or not doesn't matter; that's just the way things are.

Nice piece in the Guardian today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/27/win...

It seems that MS may be counting things differently since win 7.

Also the 40 million figure may be also including sales to PC manufacturers which certainly won't be out there.

That is backed up as Net Applications are saying that there is less than a thrid of windows 8 machines in use than there was win 7 at the same point.

I don't think there has been the buzz about win 8 that there was around 7.

I remember when all the UK pre-order copies of win 7 sold out in a few hours 4 months before launch and there was shortages for months after launch.

Also win 7 AND win 8 are not de-facto successs, there is apparently over a BILLION PC's in use worldwide according to Dell a couple of years back.

Seems that the vast majority of users are still sticking with XP and older and will do until they are forced to move.

Seems that the vast majority of users are still sticking with XP and older and will do until they are forced to move.

All the available statistics say that you are wrong. So on what do you base your assertion that XP and older systems are more popular than Windows 7?

In reply to a post by AEP:

Seems that the vast majority of users are still sticking with XP and older and will do until they are forced to move.

All the available statistics say that you are wrong. So on what do you base your assertion that XP and older systems are more popular than Windows 7?

It is interesting that the link you posted has caveats and consitions stating that the statistics collected may not be reliable.

Quote:: "Information about operating system share is difficult to obtain, since in most of the categories below there are no reliable primary sources or methodology for its collection"

The Article even states in 2010 75% of enterpeise PC's were running Windows XP.

The headline figure that the article shows is just based on Wiki's own sampling and may not include the many enterprise based PC's that do not visit there.

If as many of those enterprise PC's went from win Xp to 7 MS would have certainly been shouting about those sales.

Given that XP has been out for over a decade, Enterprise systems are STILL being shipped with it on, My brother has just placed an order for another 2000 of them at his place of work.

It would take a massive spike in sales for win 7 and 8 to overtake XP.

Although it is interesting of a very small amount of people who are overly aggressive in their defence of win8 and seem to take every slight about the OS as against them.

No matter what the figures say unless win 8 sales pick up fast, it will be replaced very quickly by MS.

It is interesting that the link you posted has caveats and consitions stating that the statistics collected may not be reliable.

If you've got anything better then post it. You're the one who made the questionable assertion.

If you atually look at the article it gives four different sets of statistics from four different sources. All of them show more Windows 7 installations than XP. I'm inclined to believe them.

No matter what the figures say unless win 8 sales pick up fast, it will be replaced very quickly by MS.

It depends upon what you mean by "very quickly" (I'd say that meant 6 months at most) but I'm prepared to wager any amount that you care that you are wrong.

I'm sure stats can be used to show anything.

I've got a laptop with Win2K, PC with XP and another laptop with Win 7 and no one has asked me for my input.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

My windows 8 cost me, well not me, but cost someone £25, windows 7 was a lot more than that.

According to a couple of people on The Register there was a £14.95 offer for a while.

There is a £14.99 offer if you have bought a Win7 PC/ Lappy recently