IDC expects Windows 8 to boost sales in the second half of this year

Mar 5, 2013 08:34 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8 remains a very controversial product with no official sales figures provided by Microsoft, but market research firm IDC says that the new operating system has made almost no difference for the collapsing PC market.

Even though everybody expects Windows 8 to take off this year and to thus increase sales of the PC industry as well, that’s not going to happen until the end of the year, Rajani Singh, research analyst at IDC, said.

“IDC expects the second half of 2013 to regain some marginal momentum partly as a rubber band effect from 2012, and largely thanks to the outcome of industry restructuring, better channel involvement, and potentially greater acceptance of Windows 8,” he said.

“We also anticipate a new refresh cycle momentum in the commercial segment driven by the end of Window XP life support.”

As far as Microsoft is concerned, Windows 8 is selling very well and, even though it doesn’t want to provide any official sales figures, the company did reveal that early uptake is in line with the one recorded by Windows 7 after launch.

According to several insiders, Microsoft has blamed PC manufacturers for Windows 8’s disappointing early sales performance, citing the lack of touchscreen devices and computers capable of running the new software as one of the main reasons.

IDC indeed confirms that the lack of touchscreen units affected Windows 8 sales, as Microsoft’s new operating system is betting big on its touch capabilities. Without such devices, Windows 8 has failed to demonstrate it features, IDC explains.

“A lack of touchscreen components has contributed to a limited supply of touch-enabled Windows 8 models – being out of step with the touch focus of Windows 8, and appearing relatively expensive compared to other options,” the research firm said in a new report.