Windows 8 Sales: A PC, Notebook and Ultrabook Reality Check

Are initial Windows 8 sales (across PCs, notebooks and ultrabooks) disappointing or booming? That depends on whom you ask. The VAR Guy is watching the situation closely and reminding readers: Windows 8’s potential success will involve a marathon rather than sprint. But for those who want an immediate scorecard, here are some initial Windows 8 sales clues.

Let’s start with the upside: Acer, Dell and Sony enjoyed strong Windows 8 PC sales during Black Friday, according to Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry, whose analysis involved business at Microsoft Stores. Many of the Windows 8 systems sold out on Black Friday, Chowdhry concluded.

Still, initial Windows 8 sales did not meet Microsoft’s internal hopes and expectations, according to Windows Supersite Blogger Paul Thurrott. To be sure, Thurrott provided plenty of context and was not throwing Windows 8 under the bus. Rather,  he points to a range of challenges — too many lackluster designs, too many inflection points — that will force consumers to take a wait-and-see approach to Windows 8.

For channel partners, The VAR Guy offers super-simple advice: Instead of worrying about Windows 8 sales reports and projections, focus in on actually running Windows 8 on desktops, notebooks and ultrabooks. Figure out if there are business use-case scenarios for your customers. And learn how to explain the Microsoft Surface strategy, and the reasons some customers may want to hold off on Windows RT tablets in favor of Windows Pro tablets (i.e., Surface Pro).

All that said, The VAR Guy’s gut tells him Thurrott is correct about early Windows 8 sales. Although Chowdhry offers some optimistic sales figures, Thurrott’s point-by-point analysis on what may hold Windows 8 back seems on the mark.