Microsoft stops selling Windows 8

As of October 31, Windows 8 is no longer available for retail purchase, although it can still be purchased as pre-installed software on computers and laptops. The operating system went on sale just over two years ago, on October 26, 2012, but Microsoft is already beginning to shift the focus to Windows 10.



Until the final date is set, when the sales of Windows 8 through the manufacturers of equipment will end. In addition, Microsoft said it would continue to support the operating system until January 2023. At the same time, Windows 8.1 is still available at retail and the date for which it is not sold has been set yet.



Microsoft said that sales of Windows 7 Professional will continue, but it is expected that its support will be completed in January next year. This will allow Microsoft to concentrate on supporting the basic version of Windows 7.



Microsoft hopes that this will help stimulate the transition to new versions of the operating system. According to NetMarketShare , Windows 8 and 8.1 together account for 16.8% of network connections, while Windows 7 has about 53 percent. Old Windows XP still holds a market share of 17.2 percent.