Windows 8's uptake falls behind Vista's pace

Windows 8's uptake falls behind Vista's pace

New OS can't keep up with Vista, Microsoft's 2007 OS flop

By Gregg Keizer
December 27, 2012 10:55 AM ET

Computerworld - With just a week left in the month, Windows 8's usage uptake has slipped behind Vista's at the same point in its release, data from a Web measurement company showed.

According to Net Applications, Windows 8's online usage share through Dec. 22 was 1.6% of all Windows PCs, an uptick from 1.2% of November. Windows 8 publicly launched on Oct. 26.

At the same two-month mark in Vista's release timetable, that OS accounted for 2.2% of all Windows systems, double the month prior.

Net Applications measures operating system usage by recording the specific operating system and version used by the machines of visitors to approximately 40,000 sites it monitors for clients.

The slowdown in uptake of Windows 8 and its poor performance compared to Vista is a troubling sign for the new operating system. Vista has been labeled a rare Microsoft failure, in part because it was adopted by far fewer customers than either its predecessor, Windows XP, or its successor, Windows 7.

Vista's online usage share peaked in the fall of 2009 at 20.3% of all Windows systems.

While there are nine days of Windows 8 data for December still to be released by Net Applications -- including Christmas, when a substantial number of Windows 8 PCs may have been given as gifts, and thus not included in the online estimates -- the new OS would have to record an amazing usage jump during December's final week to put it on par with Vista's 2007 pace.

see two page report

 

[BillWindows]

See, you cant help yourself, no matter how much you try to disguise it, you're a naysayer, and you keep bringing up pretty pictures to back you up. It must be like a knife in your stomach every time there is positive news about Windows 8 or WP8.

I'll bet you've got a doll of Steve Ballmer at home.

You are hilarious. Truly! I've only ever heard of such devotion and righteous anger being displayed by Apple fanboys.

UHHMM, what don't you understand about my using Apple, Android and Windows as well as a lot of flavours of Linux. I'm not angry, like I said the other day, that's you looking in the mirror.

 

[Ray8]

See, you cant help yourself, no matter how much you try to disguise it, you're a naysayer, and you keep bringing up pretty pictures to back you up. It must be like a knife in your stomach every time there is positive news about Windows 8 or WP8.

I'll bet you've got a doll of Steve Ballmer at home.

You are hilarious. Truly! I've only ever heard of such devotion and righteous anger being displayed by Apple fanboys.

UHHMM, what don't you understand about my using Apple, Android and Windows as well as a lot of flavours of Linux. I'm not angry, like I said the other day, that's you looking in the mirror.

I must say, the cultural differences being displayed here are quite something. Across the pond, here in Oz, there would be very few who would have thought that your previous post was that of a happy, conciliatory, chap. Implying that someone has a voodoo doll at home (I can't see it to mean anything else), just adds to that impression that you're a mere few degrees from boiling over.

 

[BillWindows]

"You can have a 1000% increase of nothing and it's still nothing"

See, you cant help yourself, no matter how much you try to disguise it, you're a naysayer, and you keep bringing up pretty pictures to back you up. It must be like a knife in your stomach every time there is positive news about Windows 8 or WP8.

I'll bet you've got a doll of Steve Ballmer at home.

Oh, and all those dates, before Windows 8 and WP8.

I found this to be rather comical!

So did I, yet I'm being told I'm about to boil over, I'm not even one teensy bit angry, just stating the facts that he keeps bringing up negative stories and figures. Why would I be angry over WP8 gaining market share, that would only make somebody angry if they were continually hoping for the downfall of Windows 8 and WP8.

10000 times nothing is nothing, doesn't sound positive to me.

 

[Ray8]

Here's something for you to read, digest and ponder Bill, perhaps it may change your attitude to calling me and others 'naysayers': The Power of Negative Thinking - WSJ.com.

 

[BillWindows]

Here's something for you to read, digest and ponder Bill, perhaps it may change your attitude to calling me and others 'naysayers': The Power of Negative Thinking - WSJ.com.

Yeah well, we all know what happened to Steve Jobs, I think I'll stick with Woody Allen's way of looking at things, I think he's still around.

If you're going to go through life in a negative way, why bother getting up in the morning, you'll probably get hit by a bus anyway.

 

[Ray8]

Here's something for you to read, digest and ponder Bill, perhaps it may change your attitude to calling me and others 'naysayers': The Power of Negative Thinking - WSJ.com.

Yeah well, we all know what happened to Steve Jobs, I think I'll stick with Woody Allen's way of looking at things, I think he's still around.

If you're going to go through life in a negative way, why bother getting up in the morning, you'll probably get hit by a bus anyway.

I don't think you actually understand at all what the article was about, if you even bothered to read it. However, the gist of it is that being positive about every new idea etc is not always a good thing. It often pays to question the changes etc, rather than just blindly accept new proposals. I've worked in the corporate environment for most of my life and if there's one thing that means is change, not always for the better or for any net gain.

A CEO or division head may one day attend some snake oil presentation, get a bee in his bonnet and suddenly the entire organisation is now embarked on a new venture or direction. There's no reflection allowed and everyone is then told to think positive about the changes and anyone who points out the obvious issues is questioned as to whether they are a team player or, in your vernacular, a naysayer.

Inevitably, the whole thing falls apart sooner or later because so many of the details were not fleshed out and assessed, as it was just a bull at a gate approach. Short term glory for an individual, with long term pain for everyone else. You obviously come from a background of accepting everything and anything thrust upon you, because someone above you has deemed it's a good thing.

I, on the other hand, come from the opposite spectrum. I don't take things on face value or because someone says it's the only or best way. I want evidence and analysis to back up the claims before I provide my support. It's never hurt me in my corporate career and saved organisations quite a bit of money in the long run.

But then, I have a positive attitude towards life, which is why I question everything.

 

[BillWindows]

Well I don't think anyone got a bee in his bonnet, I think this thing was thought through thoroughly, and I think they know which direction they're travelling in.
Naturally there will be some storms along the way and mountains to climb and rivers to cross, but if they stick it out they could end up with a brilliant product, or not.
If you want to put in your two bobs worth go ahead, but don't keep repeating what others have done for the last twelve months, I'm sure Microsoft has got the gist of it.

 

[Ray8]

Yes master!

Now I'll just keep doing what I want.

 

[Enigma]

Wow! Reallyy, MS?! It's a bad day when you can't even manage to outsell the #1 worst Windows OS in history. I had thought 8 would at least beat out Vista. Guess not..........

 

[Coke Robot]

Two months versus seven years..... Wow, Windows 8 sucks!!!! Ugh!

 

[Enigma]

Coke Robot: 8 doesnt suck, it will just take time to catch on is all. I remember using Vista and it was nothing short of a nightmare and SLOW. Everything from playing games to Web-surfing to applying Windows Updates was just really slow. Updating was the worst part, because oftentimes after downloading updates it would demand a reboot, and then during the application phase it sometimes go on forever and suddenly fail. Havent had any such issues with 8, although I have had a difficult time getting my drivers and apps sorted out.

 

[Ray8]

The first issue of Vista wasn't all that great, but the updates fixed a lot of things and it proved to be quite a reasonable OS. Microsoft clearly learned from the backlash it received and Windows 7 became as popular, if not more so, as XP. Windows 8 fundamentally is a further step forward and introduces some great underlying features, but also with its own level of controversy. For me, it's been one of the easiest and fuss free installations of any OS, and with Classic Shell works as well as Windows 7.

It's still really very early days, so it'll be very interesting to see how the public takes to Windows 8 and whether they embrace it or not. There are still a lot of desktop users in the world and it will be very telling as to how those users react when they upgrade or buy new machines. I think all we've heard from so far are mainly the early adopters, the technophiles if you will, and not the mainstream users.

 

[labeeman]

Some more news about Windows 8 and this is about touch devises.

HP's Windows 8 launches 'muted,' says analyst | Microsoft - CNET News

 

[Night Hawk]

Wow! Reallyy, MS?! It's a bad day when you can't even manage to outsell the #1 worst Windows OS in history. I had thought 8 would at least beat out Vista. Guess not..........

ME followed by the overbugged XP were the two worst versions MS came out with. They rushed XP out right after ME flopped loaded with bugs finally seen to with SP3 only too little too late.

Vista on the other hand wasn't a flop but misunderstood OS which had grown in size not suitable for the older systems when MS had understated the actual minimum system requirements allowing OEMs to pass it off on less then adequate hardwares! Once you have Vista set it became a reliable OS with a much needed improved crash control methol as well as being found far more stable then the previous verions.

7 on the other hand still comes in as the Uno Numero #1 best release MS has seen and faltered from that version's success story with a bungled up Tablet gui slapped on desktop platform move. Despite improvements you would expect to see at the core level the awkwardness of running a tablet gui requiring extra steps for each task makes it a far less productive environment for the standard desktop most are accustomed to.

Improvements like finally seeing the MS Security Essentials turned into an actual working av program(renamed as the new Windows Defender since the original WD was a joke!), a faster startup time, and other changes like a new look for the taskmanager and new Lock screen are drowned out for most by how MS stripped the OS down to be more like a Tablet OS.

As far as graphs showing Andriod devices grabbing at the market there are far more Andriod devices being seen each day with phone companies offering plans with deals. That's a totally different ball park in the hand held market when trying to compare to how well a desktop and supposedly desktop versions are matched up against each other however.

When pointing out to how many new 8 licenses have been sold no one ever "cries wolf" about how many turn around later and want to see 7 or Vista replace 8 when 8 is found to be not what many want. Likewise each new version always sees those will and those that won't take an immediate liking or simply prefer another option.

Here the task of comparison was made simple by having two separate OS drives as well as VMs to put each under scrutiny as to which would work out the best. On that note 8 suffers from a poor grade. You can toss articles and theories on what MS is planning all day long but it won't change the findings as far as it not being a suitable alternative for 7 here.

I guess you could say 7 proved to be the lucky one while this latest MS offering is behind the 8 ball! The MS goal was simple to put everything into their new Surface Tablet products and Windows RT while simply slapping that gui on 8 to have something new for the desktop editions to throw out on the desktop market without much thought. MS was obviously saying: "Hey this is our new desktop version take it the way it is or leave it! We'll be busy with Surface in the meantime."

With that in mind as well as the statement regarding the MS aim at Surface being their main goal at this time a full Windows 8 is seen on their new Surface Tablet. Hands-on with Microsoft's Surface Pro | ZDNet

That's where all the effort actually went for the new version. You first have to lighten up the OS a bit in order to make it work out on that platform however while they provided a desktop release so you can still run it as an upgrade explaining why you only two editions being sold in stores to start with.

And finally one other item to add here that many should find useful?! 8 worst Windows 8 irritations (and how to fix them) | PCWorld

Windows 8, I want to love you, but your annoying quirks keep bringing me down.

After spending more than a year conquering the operating system's overhauled (and nonintuitive) interface in its various prerelease iterations, I've now entered a second stage of frustration: I find myself cursing at Windows 8's major changes less and less, but shaking my fist and swearing like a sailor at its little irritations more and more.

Beyond its polished, tile-based surface, Microsoft's new operating system plays host to a legion of smaller annoyances—a cornucopia of quirks that will leave you seething long after you get the hang of all the new gesture controls and schizophrenic system options. Some of the problems are whoppers. Others are mere nitpicks that result from a lifetime of traditional Windows use. But many of these problems can be fixed, with one major exception. Read on!

 

[Fredledingue]

The first issue of Vista wasn't all that great, but the updates fixed a lot of things and it proved to be quite a reasonable OS. Microsoft clearly learned from the backlash it received and Windows 7 became as popular, if not more so, as XP.

The main difference between Vista and 8 is that with 8, Microsoft didn't learn from the huge backlash it recieved during the preview period.

 

[Night Hawk]

Let's hope MS learns from the gambit they are playing now with 8 being too focused on grabbing up mobile market and ignoring the desktop platform with the exception of a few OS tweaks and thrills while not producing a new desktop gui! To be sinical with a little sarcasm to add to the mix the "cheap ripoff of the Windows RT gui" is a trade off to simply toss some new something out and call it a desktop version of something else!

It is quite evident that MS simply ignored the downplays on the convoluted by blog writers and negative reactions of how the Win OS was turned upside down. I can only imagine some of the feedback submitted by those trying out the DP even let alone the CP and RP builds MS heard with deaf ears apparently.

Back in late 2006 and during 2007 the Vista haters became an abundance simply due to the MS blonder of "not" specifying the actual minimum system requirements for a new version found to be much larger in size with a good number of additional background processes which called for a faster cpu and more ram. That was their big goof in not stating people did need some upgrading if not newer faster hardwares to work with.

Even the 32bit 7 was able to go on and run faster on a few old boats for a fast temp install running old XP drivers for video and sound which Vista couldn't do due to compatibility issues more prevalent. With 8 being the new kid on the street it brings with it some new compatibility issues as Vista was to XP all over again while Vista and 7 shared things commonly! 7 has the backward compatibility while 8 brings us back to the newer version requires a lot new to run.