Windows 8 continues to fail

The genuine take-away from Net Applications’ May 2013 recover of NetMarketShare monthly handling complement statistics is that, as PC sales continue to collapse, Microsoft’s Windows 8 sales are assisting them to  plunge to a bottom.

While Microsoft apologists concentration on Windows stability to be a widespread desktop handling system, they keep blank a dual elephants in a room: Windows 8 continues to tumble behind Microsoft’s prior tip handling complement failure, Vista, and Windows is no longer a widespread end-user handling system.

True, on a desktop, Windows 7 still ranks as a tip handling complement with 44.85-percent, followed by a still renouned Windows XP with 37.74-percent. Vista—yes a never-loved Vista—comes in during third with 4.51-percent. Despite a fact that finding and shopping Windows 7 PCs has turn increasingly some-more costly and formidable —just try anticipating one in a sell store—Windows 8 still comes in final during 4.27-percent.

Worse still, Windows 8’s month-over-month expansion rate is lagging over and over behind Vista’s awful 2007 adoption numbers. When a handling systems were initial launched Windows 8 trailed Vista by usually over half-a-percent among PC buyers in a initial month. Now, in their 8th month out, Vista’s marketplace marketplace numbers lead Windows 8 by 3.64-percent. With each month that has left by, Windows 8 has depressed serve behind Vista’s monthly numbers. Needless to say, both loiter distant behind XP and Windows 7’s numbers during matching points in their product life-cycle.

I think things will usually get worse for Windows 8. Blue, Windows 8.1, promises to residence some of users’ concerns about Windows 8. But, will it residence adequate of them?

For example, if all a reborn Start Button does is give we another approach into a despised Metro interface will Windows XP and 7 users unequivocally care? No matter how good Windows 8.1 turns out to be, it seems expected that business buyers will reason off on shopping any chronicle of Windows 8 until Blue is accessible in a fourth entertain of 2013.

Some would remonstrate that given NetMarketShare changes how they magnitude browsers and handling complement markeshare from time to time formed on changes in  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) race data that you can’t sincerely review NetMarketShare information from year-to-year, generally as distant behind as 2007.

I would argue, as  NetMarketShare opposition StatCounter does, that,  “Weighting stats means that a stats are usually as good as a weighting methodology used. If a weighting information is false or out of date, afterwards it renders a information totally incorrect.” Further, StatCounter finds NetMarketShare’s CIA-based information massasging to be “vague and inconsistent.”

So because use NetMarketShare information during all? Because, for improved or worse, it’s a many ordinarily used metrc for handling complement and Web browser share. Thus, to a best of a accessible data, I’m perplexing to compare, if not matching apple to apple varieties than  Granny Smith to Red Delicious apples. 

Can Windows 8.1 re-start Windows 8?

In a larger end-user market, as Mary Meeker, a well-regarded researcher and try capitalist, forked out in her May 2013 Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers’ 2013 Internet Trends report, Windows is on a decrease no matter how magnitude it. Apple iOS and Android now have a lion’s share of computing inclination with 65-percent using one of these handling systems over Windows‘ 35-percent. Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu Linux‘s founder, was on to something when he announced that Ubuntu Linux’s initial bug, that “Microsoft has a infancy market” was now closed.

NetMarketShare’s mobile handling complement statistics uncover Apple iOS holding a lead with a clever 59.49-percent, followed by Android with 24.4-percent. Java ME, with 10.2-percent and Symbian with 2.06-percent, that aren’t even smartphone handling systems move adult a rear.  Below these  we find a once strong Blackberry OS, with a small 2.06-percent, and all total versions of Windows Phone with a little 1.21-percent.

Microsoft’s mobile handling complement share is indeed worse than it appears. None of a many new smartphone/tablet handling systems, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or RT. even breaks a 0.01-percent symbol on NetMarketShare’s mobile/tablet handling complement marketplace share chart. How bad it is that? Android 1.6, with 0.01-percent, does make a chart.

Some would remonstrate that comparing mobile and desktop handling systems is like comparing apples and oranges. A some-more good comparison is horses and cars. Both yield we with transportation. PCs and their handling systems are on their approach out. Microsoft, a buggy-whip manufacturer, competence remonstrate with this analogy.

Will Windows no longer matter? Of march not. Some users will always need PCs and many of them will hang with Windows. The doubt for Microsoft currently is “Will anyone wish Windows 8?” The marketplace has oral and a answer is “No.”

Related Stories:

• New use stats uncover Windows holding solid as PC sales drop
• A closer demeanour during those Windows 8 and Windows RT use numbers
• Windows 8: Microsoft’s New Coke moment
• The large bet: Microsoft doubles down on services in Windows 8.1
• IDC: Global PC shipments thrust in misfortune dump in a generation
• Five reasons because Windows 8 has failed