Windows 8 PC Sales Disappointing: Report

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - New, and not-so-encouraging news for Microsoft (MSFT) concerning the release - and early acceptance - of its just-released Windows 8 operating system.

Speaking with The Verge, Microsoft blogger and insider Paul Thurrott (of Windows IT Pro fame) cites some of his "most trusted sources" to say that sales of Windows 8 PCs have, so far, been very disappointing.

Thurrott believes that current sales numbers are "well below Microsoft's internal projections" and that it's pointing its corporate finger at PC manufacturers. Internally at Microsoft, the blame's being placed on manufacturer's "inability to deliver" the product, he added.

We do know that Windows 8 software, at least at the very beginning, had been doing well. Microsoft bragged that more than 4 million copies of the new OS were installed in the first few days.

But early reviews of new Windows RT devices have not been overwhelmingly complimentary. Then there was the abrupt departure of Windows team leader Steve Sinofsky. Add to that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's admission that early Windows 8 Phone sales haven't been so hot either. The Windows Phone operating system has been totally revamped so that it's based on the PC operating system to match everything else.

Taking everything into account, this hasn't been the most auspicious of beginnings for Redmond's newly modernized ecosystem.

Microsoft has not yet responded to TheStreet's request for comment on this article.

--Written by Gary Krakow in New York.

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Gary Krakow is TheStreet's senior technology correspondent.