Microsoft has already begun hinting about its plans for Windows 8 which is currently planned for release sometime in 2012. The next version of Microsoft"s operating system will be made for desktops, laptops and the new trend of tablet devices and will run on ARM based processors in addition to the normal X86 processor designs. But that doesn"t mean that Microsoft is done trying to sell its current operating system, Windows 7. ZDNet reports that the company has taken a marketing approach that basically doesn"t sell the operating system anymore but PC products that have Windows installed.
According to the story, "Microsoft has begun making available a "Windows 7 Featured PCs" list to distributors to try to get more information out about the breadth and depth of Windows 7 PCs available to consumers and businesses." That includes not just the typical desktops and notebooks but netbooks, all-in-one PCs and what Microsoft is calling "Slates" which is basically the company"s name for tablet-based devices with a touch-screen based input. Microsoft expects the enterprise market to move the majority of its licenses as this market is finally moving to the new platform.
Microsoft has said it has sold 400 million copies of Windows 7 since it launched in 2009 and it plans to sell 200 million more copies before Windows 8 is officially launched. Meanwhile, Microsoft has to deal with the rapid rise of Apple"s market share in general and the success of the iPad tablet in particular. As we mentioned earlier this week iPad sales have in less than 18 months have now taken over 11 percent of the total worldwide PC market.