Microsoft announced a new milestone for Windows 8, which has now reached 60 million licenses sold since it launched last October.
The number encompasses both upgrades from Windows 7 and new installations, which also includes license sales to PC and tablet manufacturers which may take the form of bulk orders.
In late November Microsoft announced reaching 40 million Windows 8 licenses sold, meaning that around 20 million new licenses were added during December.
This puts Windows 8 in line with initial sales for Windows 7, which averaged 19.7 million license sales each month for its first nine months.
Optimistic outlook
Unfortunately, Microsoft provided very little context to track what trends those 60 million in license sales might show.
What Microsoft did say is that there are now more than 1,700 systems certified to run Windows 8 and Windows RT, which would include desktops, notebooks, and tablets.
Microsoft did not comment on how upgrades sales compared to new installations. It also did not specify what portion Windows RT accounted for of total license sales.
Windows 8 had a strong showing at CES this year, with manufacturers revealing new all-in-one desktops, notebooks, tablets, and Vizio refitting its PC lineup with touchscreens to take advantage of the OS.
Microsoft's own Surface Pro tablet is also on the way, with full Windows 8 Pro instead of RT, which gives an optimistic outlook for steady Windows 8 sales in the months ahead.
