How is Windows 8 doing? Microsoft says it's sold 60 million licenses for the latest version of its operating system, though according to other reports, it's performing nowhere near as well as the company would like. Bill Gates, however, seems pretty chuffed.
Asked by CNBC whether he'd ever return to the company as CEO, Gates replied that Windows 8 and the Surface tablet are doing "well" without him, The Verge reports. But then he would say that, wouldn't he?
You can watch the full interview for yourself -- the interviewer asks the question just after five minutes in.
Gates points out he's engaged with Microsoft on a part-time basis, but he's very focused on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Microsoft has got a lot of exciting things going on," he said. "It's a competitive field. Windows 8 has done well, Surface computer is doing well, so I share lots of ideas where Office should go, and I think the field as a whole should feel proud of how quickly it's moving, and Microsoft will lead in a lot of those areas."
Asked which devices he uses, Gates said he reads on a Windows PC, while Windows Phone is "a fantastic product" and a "great tool".
In just a few days Microsoft will hike up the price of Windows 8 by some 400 per cent -- so if you're umming and aahing about whether or not to upgrade, it's make your mind up time. It's also just a couple of weeks before Microsoft launches its Surface Pro tablet -- the one everyone has been waiting for -- which runs Windows 8 instead of Windows RT.
In the interview, Gates also gave an update on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given away $28 billion to help combat health crises around the globe like Malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
Have you tried Windows 8? What do you make of it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 18
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anonymous 26 January, 2013 10:22
Installed windows 8 before Xmas, after using for over a month, I have reverted back to windows 7. Windows 8 is like having 2 incomplete OS installed on your machine. It struggles as a consumer platform (why is windows media centre only available to windows Pro users!) and it is definitely not a business friendly system. Looks like another windows millenium or vista half cocked release to try and generate some revenue and in this case to fight off the rise of Android/Google chrome/Ubuntu - releasing products like windows 8 is only going to harm the windows brand and its fall from market leader can set in very quickly as happened with Lotus 123, IBM, Nokia, Blackberry.
Damien2701 26 January, 2013 12:41
Windows 8 is useless and unnecessary. Like the above poster i tried windows 8 and it was such a pain flicking between two desktops to do different things, my battery life was shorter, it felt like an alpha test of a new idea that wasnt quite working. It should have been developed as a side project and called Windows touch or something.
anonymous 26 January, 2013 12:52
Windows 8 is the best OS i've used, the only people that complain about are old grumpy men that dont like change. its by fare the safest and fastest OS Microsoft have released.
anonymous 26 January, 2013 13:58
I really don't get why people don't like Windows 8. It is a delight to use. Boot time has improved, I can start using Chrome from about 30 seconds after pressing the power button. The interface is cleaner and everything just seems to perform well, even from a laptop that cost me only £350. I don't think it's suitable for enterprise use yet though, as it can take a while to get to grips with it. With a lot of locking down using Group Policy though, I don't see why not, but it doesn't have enough to force enterprises t move to it yet as some have only just moved to Windows 7.
jayce35 26 January, 2013 14:37
like hell its doing well i agree the comment about it feeling like 2 different os's .i only brought because its cheap but when the price goes up i cant see many buying it . nobody is buying it now when it is cheap so .i dont like you can open some win 8 apps in desktop mode if your using an app and desktop mode its a pain in the rear swapping through apps and desktop mode
Thomas Boehnlein 26 January, 2013 16:37
I've been using 8 since September. Never ever going back to 7. I use it on a notebook and a desktop. I love it. I navigate way faster in 8 than I ever did 7. And I love having my settings in the cloud. It's incredibly convenient. For example, when I log into my wife's computer, it's like I'm on my computer because all my settings and shortcuts follow me around. With 7, I always felt like I was using her computer. I really don't understand the hate other than people just hate change period even if it is good change. Maybe that haven't taken the time to actually notice/learn all the positives that with upgrading to 8. It's incredibly silly to not buy it $40 even if you don't plan on installing it for another 6 months..
edex67 26 January, 2013 18:33
I agree with Bill Gates and Thomas Boehnlein. Although I'm a Mac user and prefer OS X I think that Windows 8 offers a decent experience at a great price (although not as good as ML). I've tried it on a spare Celeron M laptop and it was faster than 7 and XP. A worthy upgrade.
Eric Manktelow 27 January, 2013 08:35
I've been using Windows 8 on a PC for a couple of months and after I installed a Windows 7 start menu and boot to desktop it's an excellent OS.
Works like Windows 7 only a lot faster and some better features.
anonymous 27 January, 2013 16:18
Windows 8: lovely operating system to have. I have been using windows 8 and Surface RT since their relaxed and happy with what the experience.
Bill Gates, wherever you are, you and your company have made a outstanding contribution to the humanity and I stand up for your humane charity - giving an opportunity to live to those who are facing the toughest challenge in this world.
Some of us show off what they have, others give up what they have for the sake of humanity.
Mark Anderson 27 January, 2013 21:12
I use Windows 8. It's not bad but there are rough edges. Worth persevering with though,
anonymous 27 January, 2013 23:58
It's not a foundation, it's a tax shelter.
billfred 28 January, 2013 17:27
@anonymous 27 January, 2013 23:58
Are you friggin' joking?
anonymous 4 February, 2013 17:30
I have been using computers now for over 30 years I started with dos system and gone through a few operating systems but Windows 8 is joke at least give as an option for a proper start menu. It is criminal how Microsoft gets away with all that crab the sell. Windows XP and 7 are excellent operating system but they still need fixes, patches and updates for there design errors.
anonymous 4 February, 2013 17:32
Hansi Schoenauer Feb.4/2013
I have been using computers now for over 30 years I started with dos system and gone through a few operating systems but Windows 8 is joke at least give as an option for a proper start menu. It is criminal how Microsoft gets away with all that crab the sell. Windows XP and 7 are excellent operating system but they still need fixes, patches and updates for there design errors.
anonymous 5 February, 2013 00:41
Windows 8 is a good idea, but needs improvement. I had it installed for a few months, I had trouble of it shutting down, also my mouse started jumping around. I fixed that by booting into Ubuntu live CD, and the mouse went back to normal after. Once I hear the bugs are fixed, I may revert back to windows 8.
anonymous 21 March, 2013 02:36
windows 8 sucks I hate the crap how it works they destroyed a good program easy to work I think this new computer sucks and is a peace of junk now the time to take away windows with a nice program as windows moves out of the computer world and some body make a nice program simple like windows use to be from 98 up to windows 7 to take over and ,move windows out of busness
anonymous 21 March, 2013 02:43
come back bill gates take crap like windows 8 off the market
anonymous 29 March, 2013 18:45
I'm using Win8 for a while now, it's a fantastic OS, really FAST, beautiful and easy to use. With windows 7 I spent a lot of time looking for a program, now just mouse down-left, start screen-> my program.
To me, Microsoft has done a great job!