Start screen for Windows 8 release preview
Intel CEO Paul Otellini has reportedly told employees in Taiwan that Windows 8, Microsoft’s new operating system, will still require improvements up to its release on 26 October, while others have expressed concerns over the stock levels in the Windows Store.
According to an unnamed source speaking to Bloomberg, Otellini made this announcement at a meeting in Taipei yesterday. Though it’s not unusual for software to be released before it has been perfected, the pressure is on Microsoft to ensure any kinks in the system are worked out smoothly and quickly, particularly considering the expected adoption of the platform.
“If 400m PCs get sold in a year, at least two-thirds get sold in the Windows market. That’s 250-odd million, plus whatever we get in the consumer upgrades,” stated Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, speaking at a private event in San Francisco yesterday. At this event, Ballmer and Microsoft CFO Tami Reller tried to entice more developers to get involved with the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms.
The number of apps currently available in Microsoft’s new Windows Store has both drawn criticism and raised concerns. More than 2,000 apps one month ahead of the release of Windows 8 is not perhaps the encouraging amount Microsoft wants to see, especially considering there are more than 10,000 apps in the Mac App Store, while the iOS App Store and Google Play both come with a staggering 600,000 apps.
Alex Wilhelm over at The Next Web has looked at the figures and their recent growth, estimating that the Windows Store will feature fewer than 5,000 apps for each region at the time of Windows 8’s release.
That said, just as Ballmer’s figures predict, adoption of Windows 8 among consumers will undoubtedly be strong, and – for their own commercial interests – developers would be wise to follow.
