At Microsoft’s Build developer conference on the company’s main campus in Redmond, Wash., today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft sold 4 million Windows 8 updates since the operating system went on sale last Friday. In addition, Microsoft noted, the company has shipped “tens of millions of copies” to its partners. Ballmer also cited Staples Mike Edwards, who said that “customers are excited to try out the new features and hardware.”
Ballmer did not announce any sales figures for the Surface tablet besides noting that consumers were very interested in it as well. The “level of interest and enthusiasm” for Windows 8 and the Surface, Ballmer said, has been “stunning” and people, he said, definitely want to learn more about it.
Ballmer also reiterated his belief that the current generation of PCs with Windows 8 marks the “best PCs ever.”
As for Windows Phone, Ballmer said that “these are the phones you want to own if you own a Windows 8 system.” The Windows Phone form factor, he said, will give people the best screens, cameras and other features.
For developers, Ballmer said, this new Windows ecosystem will open up a number of new opportunities, not in the least because of the new Windows Store that will make it easier for developers to market their apps. “We built this in a way that consumers will love and that you, as developers, can take advantage of.”
The keynote is still ongoing and you can watch it here.
