Microsoft has sold over 100 million copies of Windows 8 since it started to ship the new operating system six months ago on Oct 26, 2012. The information, reverses previous observation that the new OS was not moving in store shelves as fast as the manufacturer and industry expected it despite the operating system being designed primarily for touch command.

That information, culled from a Q&A blog post byTami Reller, Microsoft executive responsible for Windows' business side, indicates that Windows 8 matched the sales performance of its predecessor, Windows 7, which likewise sold about 100 million licenses in half a year.

However, techies pointed out that merely matching Windows 7 sales record may not be a good comparison point because there were less PCs in 2009 when the OS debuted, although they also conceded that one should take into account the declining PC sales due to competition from tablets and smartphones.

Reuters also pointed out that Windows 7 sales were helped by it being a replacement OS for the unpopular Windows Vista, while Windows 8 confused many potential buyers because of its new look and tile-based screen and the removal of the Start button.

Ms Reller admitted the OS would still benefit from tweaks. "Is it perfect? No. Are there things we need to change? Absolutely. We are being very real about what needs to change and changing it thoughtfully and quickly as we can," she wrote.

"The learning curve is real, and we need to address it ... We're not sitting back and saying, they will get used to it," the Microsoft official said.

Ms Reller added that the volume of apps in Windows Store - which are necessary for Microsoft to take advantage of Windows 8 interface - went up sixfold since the launch of the new OS, with 250 million apps downloaded so far. She stressed the apps, placed by independent site MetroStore Scanner, at 68,000, are more than the apps available for the competing iOS during its first 12 months on Apple's App Store.

However, if the MetroStore's figures are correct, the number of Windows 8 apps is short of Microsoft's goal to have 100,000 apps available within the first three months of shipment of the licenses.

At the Wired Business Conference, Windows Corporate Vice President Julie Larson-Green confirmed that the Bill Gates'-owned company is working on an update to Windows 8 called Windows Blue and will give the public a preview at the end of June at the Build conference. But she did not provide more details about the update's features such as if it will bring back the Start button.

RELATED STORIES