How Will Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Windows 8.1 Impact The Market?

The fact that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), led by CEO Steve Ballmer, is excited about the upcoming release of Windows 8.1 is an understatement. Yesterday, we talked about how other companies feel about this. Before that, we went into greater detail regarding the release of the update to its hardware partners.

In other words, there is a lot going on at Microsoft right now.

While there is nothing wrong with some hype, the real question remains to be answered: is Windows 8.1 going to address the concerns of Windows 8?

Even more so, could this go a long way in helping the PC market rebound in the years to come?

What to Expect from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8.1

According to a recent report by IDC, “worldwide PC shipments are now expected to fall by -9.7% in 2013.”

This is not good news for Microsoft, a company that relies heavily on the PC market thanks to its Windows operating system.

The report went on to add that the decline should last through 2014, followed by some modest growth in 2015 and the years to follow. That being said, nobody should expect to “regain the peak volumes last seen in 2011.”

Jay Chou, senior research analyst for IDC, was quick to discuss the reasons for this while also bringing Microsoft into the conversation.

He noted that the addition of Windows 8.1 to the market should help address a number of concerns among users.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t really matter what Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has up its sleeve this time around. It cannot change the fact that consumers are moving more towards mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

With tablet prices coming down and performance on the rise, the PC market will continue to take its lumps. Subsequently, companies such as Microsoft are going to have a hard time keeping their footing.

There is no reason to believe that Microsoft Windows 8.1 is going to flop. If it is all it is cracked up to be, users are going to be very happy. However, a great product in a dying market is nothing to get excited about.

In terms of overall impact, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8.1 will have a solid impact on the PC market, but is not going to save it from a slow death.

These hedge fund managers continue to like what they see from MSFT: William Duhamel, Sandy Nairn, Kelly Cardwell, Jeffrey Ubben, and James Litinsky.

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