Windows 8 January, 2014 Market share

Here is the news so far, still looking grim for the "New Windows"....................

Windows 8.x claims 10% market share, but Windows 7

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/...ows-7-still-gains-windows-xp-falls-30/#!q3um6

 

Yep, certainly an impressive performance of Windows 7, which continues to outperform Win8.x by far. However, as the authors correctly note, it remains to be seen whether or not this was some sort of an anomaly. The January numbers will be interesting. If the picture does not change then, then Microsoft will have to consider extending sale of Windows 7, which was supposed to end in October of 2014, IIRC.

 

Support of Windows XP is ending and many companies, like mine, are switching their machines at the last minute from XP to Win7. Hence the sudden uptick in Win7. Because if you're the sort of company that happily used XP through 2013, you're not the sort of company that wants the newest version of any OS. You prefer a bug-free experience, which the second-newest-version generally does a better job at delivering.

 

Glad to see that Windows 7 is still going strong, despite the almost total absence of it in the retail market (as in, pre-installed on newer laptops).

I'm just hoping that my university still sells Windows 7 instead of 8.x, in case I need new copies...

 

Not too sure about Academic sales but as of 10/2013 M$ has stopped creating, or supporting, new sales of the OS unless with a system. What is out there will eventually get sold out.

As far as February sales giving a better indicator, that is true but so will March and April with tax returns then May June and July with Easter and graduation presents along with August and September along with November for schools openings and back again to December and January along with February for holidays sales and the cycle never ends.

 

Microsoft says Mainstream support until January 2015: Windows lifecycle fact sheet - Microsoft Windows Help

and extended support until January 2020.

So I don't think Win 7 is going away any time soon.

 

Yes, but word on the street was that Microsoft planned to stop allowing its PC partners to sell machines with Windows 7 preloaded after October 30, 2014. Fortunately, it seems that this is not correct, and was based on an erroneous posting of these dates on the Windows Lifecycle web page.

 

Had not seen that but this is good to hear. Again 10/2014 end of sales without a solid desktop replacement for Windows 7 would have been a massive fail. So in the end this is good news for M$ and the consumer.

Edit; the story posted by computer world was Dec 6, 2013 but is was quietly changed after that. The kicker is the official page still states last update as of 10/2013 where the cached page shows it was changed well after that.

Did Microsoft just extend the retail sales life of Windows 7? - Neowin

Microsoft ends Windows 7 retail sales - Computerworld

Windows lifecycle fact sheet - Microsoft Windows Help

 

So in other words, gobble up copies of Win 7 while you can! Hopefully MS comes around full circle and releases Win 9 with an eye towards productivity users, or probably 80% of it's user base.

 

Why do you need to digital rivers has ISO of them so let's not jump on the band scaring wagon and give good accurate info ok and if digital rivers should stop or cease then gobbling up W7 would be a smart move. And if W8 and BLUNDER Ballamer is any indications they need to think outside of thinking inside the box management skills. Only then will they truly innovate a O/S that will overtake W7 and give users true power tweaks not Blunder Ballamer twerks.

 

Stop producing = no more product keys. I don't care how many ISO's they have. They are no longer issuing product keys except for when pre-installed on a machine. Although if that just means OEM editions are available then no big deal, if we can still buy it from Newegg and Amazon and the like. Just no full versions available.

I'm not real concerned, XP sold for years after they stopped production of it.

 

Windows 7 is the best op sys M$ has put out, The M$ win 8 to win 8.1-disabling recovery drive creation is typical nonsense from M$,,need to fix that by a service pack or update like yesterday, last week ect. Also no OEM iso of Win 8 or 8.1 more M$ bs.

Cheers
3Fees :

 

Windows 8 is the best OS but agreed needs a few tweaks and all. Windows 7 is, at least so far, the best desktop UI. The problem is users rarely interface with the OS but do so regularly with the UI. This is the reason, IMHO, for low market saturation.

M$ had a chance with 8.1 to revamp the UI to better than Win7 status for desktops but ignored this and now may pay for that decision. With 8.2 the opportunity presents itself again but now is to see if this is ignored and just a minor tweaking again of metro to try and conform to desktop usage. So again a wait and see here. Sooner or later the wait and see will not do and consumers will not be further stringed along, Ah but then there will be windows 9 and possibly further strings to grab on too. M$ can afford to do this just so long as the other shoe does not drop.

 

@S.SubZero - exactly

 

In Steam usage in December, Windows 7 declined slightly, and Windows 8.1 jumped significantly, though Win7 is obviously still the most common OS by far used on Steam.

Dec. 2013 Steam hardware survey shows Windows 8.1 adoption jump | Polygon
Steam Hardware & Software Survey

This supports my earlier theory that the jump in Win7 usage was enterprise upgrading from XP to 7.

 

I wouldn't put too much faith in that. Who would fill in the survey the most? The ones with a new machine, right? And since Win 8 is new... hmmm.

 

the survey is a popup when steam starts that prompts you to participate by clicking 'next' like three times.

 

I only get that popup when I do a clean install of Steam, and with EVERY new install. I rarely ever again get asked for a survey once it's installed. My point is that once you get a new machine, you install Steam, and take the survey. A large majority of other users likely won't get the survey.

 

it must be somehow randomized -- and i say that only because it randomly popped up for me last month. forgot about how it prompts after new installations though. you have a legitimate point.

 

Data over the course of time will matter more because it will be a larger sampling, but month to month I don't think it's that reliable. Unfortunately new machines in stores pretty much all come with Windows 8. Pretty much only CTO machines at many OEM's give you a choice of OS. Eventually Windows 8.x will have to saturate the market a bit just because of laymen users replacing or buying new/additional machines from stores. Just my two cents from a half brained nitwit.

Funny thing is that I've been using Windows 8 (8.1 recently) for a while now, and with StartIsBack it's basically Windows 7. So I guess it's not a huge deal, just still no reason to upgrade from Win 7 IMHO.

 

Windows 8 is definitely better under the hood. I would use it, however they removed and changed lots of options and things that I have grown to like and use in Windows 7 over the past several years that paying for an add-on start menu won't fix it.

 

Well yes this is true. There are some boneheaded things changed. But for the most part it hasn't impacted me significantly. Stupid things like limiting window customization, no Aero, etc are an annoyance more than anything. MS just borked it, period.