14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2013 earlier today, revealing a 6 percent increase for the Windows Division despite the decline of the PC industry.
And still, Amy Hood, Microsoft’s Chief Financial Officer, explained that overall the Windows business is losing some ground, pointing to the same collapse of the PC market as the main reason.
Hood pointed out that Microsoft is now going through a major transition, so it takes some time until Windows posts improved figures. The plan is making progress, Hood explained.
“This quarter, our Windows business declined as the device market continued to evolve beyond the traditional PC. We are working to transition the business into this modern era of computing, taking advantage of the new scenarios enabled by Windows 8,” Microsoft’s CFO said.
“As we’ve said before, given the complexity of the ecosystem, this journey will take time, but we continue to make incremental progress.”
In addition, Amy Hood reiterated Steve Ballmer’s words, explaining that touch has become a priority, so the Redmond-based tech giant is hoping that more manufacturers will embrace this concept for its future devices.
Ballmer said during the Worldwide Partner Conference 2013 in Houston, Texas, that Windows 8.1 would spawn a new wave of touch-capable devices, most of which would be specifically tweaked to take advantage of the new operating system.
Windows 8.1 is set to hit RTM next month, while the official launch for end users is likely to take place in the coming weeks. Microsoft is yet to announce the release date, but 8.1 would definitely be here in time for the holiday season.
“The percentage and breadth of touch devices available at retail continues to improve. The first 8-inch Windows tablet became available at retail a few weeks ago. It has legacy application compatibility, includes Microsoft Office, and retails for less than $400. We expect additional compelling small-screen devices to be available in the coming months,” Amy Hood concluded.