Really bad news for Microsoft  Sales of its brand new operating
system, Windows 8, are "well below projections," inside the
company says Paul Thurott at Windows SuperSite  Thurott is
probably the most plugged-in Microsoft reporter. When he says
something, you can trust it.   He says sales are being described
internally as "disappointing."  Microsoft is blaming its PC
partners for the slow start, says Thurott. His source blamed PC
makers "inability to deliver".  This is a strange, and frankly
pathetic, explanation.   There's no question Apple makes the
best laptops and companies like HP, Dell, and Asus, chase after
what Apple makes.   But the PC makers are still reliant on
Microsoft and its software. And they can only sell computers
running on Windows.  The only real explanation of worse than
expected sales is that Microsoft decided to mess with the
world's most popular operating system and it's blowing up in its
face.   As Thurott puts it: "Microsoft’s new whatever-the-F-it-
is operating system is a confusing,