Windows 8 continues to fail
While Microsoft apologists focus on Windows continuing to be the dominant desktop operating system, they keep missing the two elephants in the room: Windows 8 continues to fall behind Microsoft's previous top operating system failure, Vista, and Windows is no longer the dominant end-user operating system.
True, on the desktop, Windows 7 still ranks as the top operating system with 44.85-percent, followed by the still popular Windows XP with 37.74-percent. Vista—yes the never-loved Vista—comes in at third with 4.51-percent. Despite the fact that finding and buying Windows 7 PCs has become increasingly more expensive and difficult —just try finding one in a retail store—Windows 8 still comes in last at 4.27-percent.
Worse still, Windows 8's month-over-month growth rate is lagging farther and farther behind Vista's dreadful 2007 adoption numbers. When the operating systems were first launched Windows 8 trailed Vista by just over half-a-percent among PC buyers in its first month. Now, in their 8th month out, Vista's market market numbers lead Windows 8 by 3.64-percent. With every month that has gone by, Windows 8 has fallen further behind Vista's monthly numbers. Needless to say, both lag far behind XP and Windows 7's numbers at similar points in their product life-cycle.
I suspect things will only get worse for Windows 8. Blue, Windows 8.1, promises to address some of users' concerns about Windows 8. But, will it address enough of them?
For example, if all the reborn Start Button does is give you another way into the despised Metro interface will Windows XP and 7 users really care? No matter how good Windows 8.1 turns out to be, it seems likely that business buyers will hold off on buying any version of Windows 8 until Blue is available in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Can Windows 8.1 re-start Windows 8?
In the greater end-user market, as Mary Meeker, the well-regarded analyst and venture capitalist, pointed out in her May 2013 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers' 2013 Internet Trends report, Apple iOS and Android now have the lion's share of computing devices with 65-percent running one of these operating systems over Windows' 35-percent. Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu Linux's founder, was on to something when he declared that Ubuntu Linux's first bug, that "Microsoft has a majority market" was now closed.
NetMarketShare's mobile operating system statistics show Apple iOS holding the lead with a strong 59.49-percent, followed by Android with 24.4-percent. Java ME, with 10.2-percent and Symbian with 2.06-percent, which aren't even smartphone operating systems bring up the rear. Below these we find the once mighty Blackberry OS, with a mere 2.06-percent, and all combined versions of Windows Phone with a tiny 1.21-percent.
Microsoft's mobile operating system share is actually worse than it appears. None of its most recent smartphone/tablet operating systems, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or RT. even breaks the 0.01-percent mark on NetMarketShare's mobile/tablet operating system market share chart. How bad it is that? Android 1.6, with 0.01-percent, does make the chart.
Some would argue that comparing mobile and desktop operating systems is like comparing apples and oranges. A more apt comparison is horses and cars. Both provide you with transportation. PCs and their operating systems are on their way out. Microsoft, a buggy-whip manufacturer, might disagree with this analogy.
Will Windows no longer matter? Of course not. Some users will always need PCs and most of them will stick with Windows. The question for Microsoft today is "Will anyone want Windows 8?" The market has spoken and the answer is "No."
Original post at_www.zdnet.com
True, on the desktop, Windows 7 still ranks as the top operating system with 44.85-percent, followed by the still popular Windows XP with 37.74-percent. Vista—yes the never-loved Vista—comes in at third with 4.51-percent. Despite the fact that finding and buying Windows 7 PCs has become increasingly more expensive and difficult —just try finding one in a retail store—Windows 8 still comes in last at 4.27-percent.Worse still, Windows 8's month-over-month growth rate is lagging farther and farther behind Vista's dreadful 2007 adoption numbers. When the operating systems were first launched Windows 8 trailed Vista by just over half-a-percent among PC buyers in its first month. Now, in their 8th month out, Vista's market market numbers lead Windows 8 by 3.64-percent. With every month that has gone by, Windows 8 has fallen further behind Vista's monthly numbers. Needless to say, both lag far behind XP and Windows 7's numbers at similar points in their product life-cycle.
I suspect things will only get worse for Windows 8. Blue, Windows 8.1, promises to address some of users' concerns about Windows 8. But, will it address enough of them?
For example, if all the reborn Start Button does is give you another way into the despised Metro interface will Windows XP and 7 users really care? No matter how good Windows 8.1 turns out to be, it seems likely that business buyers will hold off on buying any version of Windows 8 until Blue is available in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Can Windows 8.1 re-start Windows 8?
In the greater end-user market, as Mary Meeker, the well-regarded analyst and venture capitalist, pointed out in her May 2013 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers' 2013 Internet Trends report, Apple iOS and Android now have the lion's share of computing devices with 65-percent running one of these operating systems over Windows' 35-percent. Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu Linux's founder, was on to something when he declared that Ubuntu Linux's first bug, that "Microsoft has a majority market" was now closed.
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| Modern versions of Windows are non-players on tablets and smartphones. |
NetMarketShare's mobile operating system statistics show Apple iOS holding the lead with a strong 59.49-percent, followed by Android with 24.4-percent. Java ME, with 10.2-percent and Symbian with 2.06-percent, which aren't even smartphone operating systems bring up the rear. Below these we find the once mighty Blackberry OS, with a mere 2.06-percent, and all combined versions of Windows Phone with a tiny 1.21-percent.
Microsoft's mobile operating system share is actually worse than it appears. None of its most recent smartphone/tablet operating systems, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or RT. even breaks the 0.01-percent mark on NetMarketShare's mobile/tablet operating system market share chart. How bad it is that? Android 1.6, with 0.01-percent, does make the chart.
Some would argue that comparing mobile and desktop operating systems is like comparing apples and oranges. A more apt comparison is horses and cars. Both provide you with transportation. PCs and their operating systems are on their way out. Microsoft, a buggy-whip manufacturer, might disagree with this analogy.
Will Windows no longer matter? Of course not. Some users will always need PCs and most of them will stick with Windows. The question for Microsoft today is "Will anyone want Windows 8?" The market has spoken and the answer is "No."
Original post at_www.zdnet.com
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