Windows 8 June, 2014 Market share

May has ended with Windows 8.x.x and Windows 7 market share up at the expense of Windows XP. According to where you look it is debatable as to which OS got the largest boost and/or by how much.

Windows 8 Close to Overtaking Windows XP in Global Market Share

Windows 7 now commands 50% of the operating system market share, Windows 8.1 share increases | WinBeta
Normal service is resumed as Windows 7's growth once again comfortably outpaces Windows 8.x

Edit; added links

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/201...dows-8-market-share-windows-7-climbs-back-50/
http://hardocp.com/news/2014/06/01/windows_81_finally_passes_8_in_market_share

 

This sounds all good and all but I been seeing in various forums where people are experiencing upgrade or install problems with W8.1 and the drivers are messing up systems. So this might reverse the going to W8.1 trend if they don't fix why this is happening with W8.1 upgrades or install W8 will flop again and users will search for W7 software again. So W8.1 just looks nice/new but considering all the problems I been reading missing and bad drivers will more then likely torpedo W8.1 from even getting any higher then where it is presently at.

 

//10 whatever//

<iframe width='560' height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vtSmfws0_To" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtSmfws0_To

Guys, it's just a joke.

 

I think, while it appears to be old news, is still very relevant to all of us today. The success, or failure, of windows 8 and its incarnations will likely steer the development of Windows 9 and possibly beyond.

I am hoping now that it is realized by the company that the desktop users can not just be abandoned and more importantly just flat out ignored. Now if with Windows 9 the desktop KB&M users continue to be trampled upon, well it could spell doom for the software giant as far as OS domination as it will open up the doors for competition. Windows 10 and beyond will have to have a development cycle. While no one seemed to really pounce on this development cycles opportunities no one knew if Windows would all of a sudden get it together.

This time around it could be very different. With the failing track record of Windows 8 UI, if Windows 9 is no better, then some companies may just jump in early. Apple made a great campaign during Vista days with its issues. While not capitalizing on Windows 8 in this way, if there is blood in the waters with Windows 9 then I doubt they will play as nicely. This is just one possible example.

 

We already know what the next version of Windows looks like, and it has a start menu and windowed metro apps (at least as an option). We don't know whether it'll be called Windows 8.1 Update 2, or whether it'll be called Windows 9, but it's coming soon. So all this discussion about whether "I am hoping now that it is realized by the company that desktop users cannot just be abandoned" is outdated. We know that the controversial elements of Win8--the start screen, live tiles, etc--will be purely optional in months.



This is all consistent with Nadella's stance to market Microsoft software (such as Office) more aggressively to users of other OSes, instead of prioritizing trying to win the OS wars on smartphones/tablets. Ballmer prioritized winning the platform war over succeeding with individual software/services; Nadella has the opposite priority. Office for iPad is already here and Office for Android tablets has been confirmed as coming soon.

 

^^^Dammit, where the hell is Aero glass?!?
Sorry, I know, I sound like a broken record, but it really makes things look better on bigger screens.

Still kudos for bringing back those things. I love Windows 8 on tablets, but on desktop it was a bit awkward experience for me.
So far I'm liking that Nadella guy. If only he would buy back the Flight Sim division and made a new proper MSFS... Ah, one can dream...

 

I know some people here argue to the contrary, but I really see that simply as a subjective aesthetic difference and not an objective functionality/utility/intuitiveness question.

 

Do be careful with such statement, since it can easily turn into a huge flame war when talking about Windows 8 design/functionality.

 

We'll we all knew what windows 8 was before its release. We saw our original start, search aero and other goodies. We during the beta were fairly happy campers. I will trust whatever windows release is once it has been out and not until then!

 

Depends on where you look. StatCounter says Windows 8 almost equals XP. NetMarketShare says Windows 8 almost equals half of XP, which in turn is just over half of 7. It's actually a rather pretty graph this month with 7 at 50%, XP at a shade over 25%, and everyone else just under 25 combined.

And the funny thing is that as much of the reason for the pretty graph as XP losing share, is that Windows 7 is actually consistently gaining share. About 6% gain in the past year.

I do agree that Microsoft needs to do something to show traditional desktop and laptop users some love in Windows 9. Like Vista, Windows 8 not being appealing to the core users won't be the end of the line. But if most core users prefer Windows 7 over both 8 and 9, then Microsoft would have a problem. Windows 7 may well be the next XP in terms of long-term support. XP had a lot higher market share 6 years prior to end-of-support than 7 does, but 7 is still gaining share.

I'm just happy that Windows Vista is below 3% share. Unfortunately I still have one friend whose laptop still runs Vista, but at least now he mainly uses a desktop with Windows 7.

To be fair, Office for iPad and Android was clearly already in development while Ballmer was CEO; it just took until after he left to finish up and release. You can't develop an application of the size of Office for a new platform in the time between when Nadella became CEO and when it was released, even if it already works on another platform (Windows). So you can't just credit that to Nadella.

 

My ex-bro-in-law had a desktop still running Vista up to last week. I just put Windows 7 on it and it works great. It is a Dell with a C2Q so I also applied the AMD BullDozer patch as well. It is a nice running system in all.

 

Not really a aesthetic difference system now days are powerful enough to run and use Aero and to let users customize their setup isn't a hard concept to do for M$ as some would like to think. I already beat a dead horse more like give users preferences either Tablet setup for Tablet or Desktop Mode which they can customize to have a W7 UI or W8.1, 8.2 with UI or Metro Start Menu. They done this kinda setup where the users can do the setup as they like and this is what sold the Windows itself not because they are number one but this is what made them into the #1 O/S to use and beat failure to remember what got them here and what made them what they are will make them fall flat on their face.

 

A Dell with a Core 2 Quad so you applied an AMD Bulldozer patch??? Either C2Q means something different in this context or I'm confused as to why you'd put a Bulldozer patch on an Intel machine...

 

The AMD bulldozer and core 2 quad share being non numa and more than one physical die on the CPU. Both then take advantage of the patch for windows 7 or even better with the Windows 8 scheduler.

Edit; I should note there are a few threads here where this is well documented.

 

I had asked this in another thread but it seems pertinent here. That is of the market share Windows 8.x has how much of that is not real x86 desktop but RT usage. Hopefully this article somewhat answers that.

Microsoft Surface RT Is Not Dead, Controls 14.5% Of Windows 8 Devices Market

 

That's just a selection of Windows Store downloads, though. I highly doubt that the Surface RT is 14.5% of Windows 8 devices. It may be responsible for 14.5% of Windows Store downloads, but that's also pretty much the only way to get software for it. Whereas there are other people who use x86 Windows 8 on the desktop and never touch the Windows Store, accounting for 0% of that marketshare.

They also don't specify how they got the 800 programs they used for the sample. That mix could also favor tablets, particularly if some/many of the programs are touch-UI centric, or paid (since I would suspect tablet users would be more willing to pay for Windows Store software than desktop-only users with a wide selection of free and paid desktop software that isn't in the Windows Store).

 

Like Apollo, I'm concerned about the methodology. If that's actually a graph of metro app downloads, not hardware sales (and it sounds like that once you get past the title), it's no surprise that Windows RT is doing better than most people expect...because Windows RT is completely dependent on metro apps and Windows 8.x isn't. Metro app downloads are not a reliable proxy for hardware sales.

 

Where it may not be a reliable indicator, then what is? The numbers are not being released publicly. Now if Windows 8 in all were a success you would see the numbers being shout our from the highest roofs. Even the differentiation between RT and x86 to show the tablets OS takeover. It seems like since sales are so bad though numbers and appearance are being lumped together to make each no look as bad as they really are.

 

This may not be possible, but if the browser agent is different on WOA (Windows on ARM) than x86, it should be possible to get an indication of market share that way, which would be more accurate. I don't know if that's possible, though - I would suspect Windows RT would score about the 0.03% that NetMarketShare shows Windows 2000 at, but they may just be lumping it into 8/8.1 even if it can be separated out.