This is the first time when the Redmond giant skips the CES

Jan 7, 2013 14:09 GMT  ·  By

The Consumers Electronics Show has officially opened its doors, but there’s one major name that’s skipping the event. It’s Microsoft, the Redmond-based technology giant that has decided to say “no” to CES this year because of undisclosed reasons.

There’s still a lot to see at CES, that’s for sure, but have you ever wondered what the reason is for Microsoft refusing to exhibit at the show?

The company’s decision has stirred up criticism, especially because Microsoft officials have been holding the keynote speech ever since 1995. First Bill Gates, then Steve Ballmer, both have talked to the CES audience about technology in general, and hardware and software in particular, every single year.

We’ve heard quite a lot of people saying that Microsoft has decided to skip CES 2013 because it has nothing important to show. And judging by all unofficial reports, there may be some truth behind all these words.

Windows 8, the eagerly-awaited operating system launched in October, is yet to excite, and even though Microsoft has already revealed that it had sold 40 million copies in the first month, sources familiar with the matter indicate that the software is missing internal sales projections.

New reports have revealed that Windows 8 did almost nothing to boost holiday sales, with customers still choosing Windows 7 over the “reinvented” operating system.

And Windows 8 is already at CES 2013, in both desktop and RT form, as several manufacturers, including Lenovo and HP, have revealed several products running Microsoft’s new product.

Leaving Windows 8 aside, Microsoft has also unveiled Surface RT in October, the company’s first tablet in history that until now has failed to impress.

Microsoft hasn’t disclosed Surface RT sales, but according to a bunch of analysts, the device is far from becoming a powerful iPad rival and more people are actually waiting for the Pro version that offers support for legacy Windows apps.

With all these being said, Microsoft’s decision to skip this year’s CES somewhat makes sense. But this isn’t good news for Microsoft at all.