SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft’s latest version of Windows is faring better than its maligned predecessor, but the software’s growth is still stunted by a shift away from personal computers.
Windows 10 is now running on a half-billion devices nearly two years after its release, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella disclosed Wednesday during the software maker’s annual conference for applications programmers.
That figure is up from 400 million eight months ago, but short of Microsoft’s goal of putting Windows 10 on 1 billion devices by 2018. The Redmond, Washington, company had already acknowledged it won’t reach that goal in time.
Windows 10 represents a comeback for Microsoft after the colossal flop of Windows 8, whose ill-conceived design deepened a decline in PC sales and contributed to the departure of Nadella’s predecessor, Steve Ballmer.