Despite consumers said to be unaware of Windows 8's existence, as well as PC suppliers worried over the lack of interest in the operating system, Microsoft has announced that its latest OS has sold over four million copies since its release on Friday.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the figure during the Build conference, which hosts 2,000 developers.
The firm hopes to convince developers to create apps for the new operating system, as well as the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system. "In a sense, what these launches really do is the kick off the golden age of opportunity for you as developers," Ballmer said. Currently, the Windows store features 120,000 apps, while Apple's iOS and Google's Play store both boast over 700,000 apps.
Ballmer said Twitter is working on a Windows 8 app due to launch "in the months ahead." He added: "It will be the most important in terms of highlighting and showcasing some of these capabilities we're talking about today."
"Windows 8 is the best opportunity for software development today," Ballmer stated. "Hundreds of millions of people are aching to use your apps, just dying to use your application." He continued on to stress that there are 670 million PCs running Windows 7, which all can be upgraded to Windows 8.
"I think we're going to see a lot of growth and vitality and explosion in the PC market," Ballmer stressed. "This is a market in which you can do your best work, your most innovative work.... This is a market in which you can make money."
Microsoft is expected to invest $1.5 billion in advertising alone for Windows 8. It'll also offer free Wi-Fi for popular U.S. states in order to generate a buzz for the operating system and ultimately raise awareness among consumers.
