NEW YORK, N.Y. – A research firm says sales of personal computers in the U.S. didn’t get any boost from the launch of Windows 8, confounding the hopes of Microsoft and PC makers.
NPD Group, which tracks U.S. retail sales, says that in the month since Windows 8 launched on Oct. 26, sales of Windows PCs and tablets fell 21 per cent compared with a year earlier.
NPD says there’s no sign that Windows 8 made things worse for PC makers.
Rather, the weak sales are a continuation of a trend seen throughout this year, as consumers appear more interested in spending the electronics dollars on smartphones and tablets than on upgrading their computers.
Microsoft and PC makers had been hoping for a boost from Windows 8, though they tempered expectations as the launch neared.
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