Can Windows 8 save the PC?

Sales of the once-dominant PC are sagging, but a new report claims that the October release of Windows 8 will reinvigorate the market

Used personal computer keyboards wait to be recycled
(Image credit: Erich Schlegel/Corbis)

These days, it's nearly impossible to ignore Apple and its sleek and sexy gadgets. But PC makers are hoping that Windows 8 will revive what has become a lethargic market. According to Bloomberg, the "reimagined" Windows OS will go on sale in October, along with a splashy new cast of ultrabooks and other razor-thin computers (some of which will have touchscreens equipped to take full advantage of Windows 8 swipe-based interface). The debut couldn't come any sooner, IDC analyst Bob O'Donnell said in a recent report. "Many consumers are holding off making PC purchases at the moment because tablet devices like Apple's iPad are proving to be a powerful distraction." PC shipments managed only 1.8 percent year-to-year growth in 2011, and 2012 isn't looking much better with a projected 5 percent. But will releasing Windows 8 right before the holidays change the picture?

Probably not this year: "Personally, I like Windows 8," says Joe Wilcox at BetaNews. But "pardon my skepticism": Microsoft's new operating system still has a lot to prove. If Windows 8 and ultrabooks are tag-teaming to take down Apple, the PC companies will have to release "compelling, and, more importantly, affordable" products to even come close. "Can Windows 8 save Christmas for Microsoft and its partners? I answer 'No' for holiday 2012. Perhaps 'Yes' for holiday 2013."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us