Microsoft trumpets 40 million Windows 8 sales in first month
But only 15 million users actually running the new OS.
Microsoft has announced sales of 40 million Windows 8 licenses in the operating system's launch month.
This likely indicates a faster take-up rate than for previous launch Windows 7, Reuters reported (via NDTV).
But 40 million licenses sold does not mean there are now 40 million Windows 8 users. Countless numbers of licences are bought up by hardware manufacturers for future use in new machines.
Tech research firm StatCounter suggests that Windows 8 has actually only reached 15 million PC users - which equates to one per cent of the world's 1.5 billion personal computer userbase.
Microsoft is yet to mention sales numbers for its Windows 8-powered Surface tablet, launched last month as a rival for Apple's iPad. Company boss Steve Ballmer admitted that early Surface sales were "modest".
Xbox 360 sales are booming, however. The company shifted 750,000 consoles in the US during the country's annual Black Friday sales week - more than the Wii and Wii U combined.
