According to Microsoft's Windows division CFO Tami Reller, said number includes both Windows licenses that ship on new devices as well as consumer upgrades to the platform.
"We've also seen the number of certified devices for Windows 8 and Window RT grow to 2,400 devices, and we're seeing more and more touch devices in the mix," said Reller.
"While we realise that change takes time, we feel good about the progress since launch, including what we've been able to accomplish with the ecosystem and customer reaction to the new PCs and tablets that are available now or will soon come to market."
The new New Coke?
Sales have naturally slowed since the platform's barnstorming start 60 million licenses sold in its first 3 months with sales now averaging at 10 million a month.
Nonetheless, hitting said milestone in little over six months will likely cool some of the criticism that's been fired in Microsoft's direction in recent times.
Many consumers have lamented the disappearance of the Start button a feature that dominated the Windows platform from Windows 95 onwards, but replaced in Windows 8 with the platform's Metro-based start screen.
The Windows 8 Start screen as it stands today
It's expected the platform's first major update dubbed Windows Blue will accommodate some sort of compromise between the old and new approach.
However, the mainstream media's desire to pitch this as something of a 'New Coke' moment - where Microsoft abandons all changes - is likely to be somewhat off base.
[source: Microsoft]
