Windows 8 has passed the first milestone on its way to retirement after Microsoft
ended retail sales of the operating system.
As of 31 October, retailers will no longer be able to order more Windows 8 to sell beyond their existing stock, although it can still be bought installed on a new PC. The operating system went on sale just over two years ago on 26 October 2012, and Microsoft is already shifting emphasis to Windows 10, expected in the middle of next year.
No date has yet been set for when sales of Windows 8 via manufacturers will end — and Microsoft has said it will continue to support the operating system until January 2023. Windows 8.1 is still available at retail and no date has been set for the end of sales yet.
Windows 8 was a significant departure from the classic Windows look and feel, bringing in a new tiled start screen that met with considerable opposition from businesses worried about having to retrain staff to use the new interface.
