Windows 8 May Not Save The PC Market

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Windows 8 is not on the list of must-haves this holiday season. Now analysts are expecting that Windows won’t even make a dent in sales this last quarter.

Windows 8 May Not Save The PC Market

Although NPD vice president Stephen Baker said it was still a little too early to dismiss Windows 8 completely, he also said, “We still have the whole holiday selling season ahead of us, but clearly Windows 8 did not prove to be the impetus for a sales turnaround some had hoped.”

In a report from Canalys, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) owns about 72 percent of the personal computer and tablet market. However, with smartphones that number decreases to 32 percent.

Canalys’ Tom Couling said, “We are seeing no major uplift in retail due to Windows 8. It definitely won’t reverse the trend of tablets being the hottest product out there. Windows 8 is expensive, and a lot of [vendors] have missed the Christmas window, they are not getting onto [retailers’ shelves]. It won’t be a good Christmas for PC vendors that is for sure.”

That’s not all, Rick Sherlund, analyst for Nomura, “We assume that many customers will prefer an iPad to a Windows device, but Office is still an anchor for the enterprise and prosumers.”

The fact is the average consumer has lost interest in personal computers. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), once a mainstay in homes and businesses, has been abandoned for the likes of Apple and Android. Today’s consumer wants devices they can take everywhere they go and mobile products fit the bill. That’s not to say that it’s completely over for Microsoft. They still have a chance to turn the company around but they shouldn’t take much longer.

At the very least, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) still has their personal computer market. Although the technology market is constantly evolving, there will always be a need, albeit small need, for your traditional desktops and laptops.

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