Slow uptake of Windows 8 preview hints at lack of interest

Slow uptake of Windows 8 preview hints at lack of interest

If usage share equals enthusiasm, new OS half as interesting to users as Windows 7 was in its beta stage

By Gregg Keizer
April 30, 2012 12:09 PM ET

Computerworld - Windows users appear half as interested in trying out the new Windows 8 as they did three years ago when they jumped at the chance to test drive Windows 7, data shows.

According to Web analytics company Net Applications, only 0.11% of the computers that went online last week ran Windows 8. That number -- representing 11 machines out of each 10,000 -- was the same as Windows 8 averaged in March.

And it's significantly less than Windows 7's usage share at the same point in its development history.

At the end of the first two full months after the release of Windows 7 Beta, that operating system was powering 0.26% -- or 26 out of every 10,000 -- of the PCs that browsed the Web.

Microsoft made early versions of both Windows 8 and Windows 7 available to anyone interested enough to download and install the trials. The former, dubbed Windows 8 Consumer Preview, debuted two months ago Sunday. Windows 7 Beta appeared in early January 2009.

It's not possible to compare Windows 8's initial uptake with that of Windows Vista, the 2007 operating system that most users shunned, and which has steadily lost share since Windows 7's October 2009 release: Computerworld's records of Net Applications' data go back only to February 2007, one month after Vista's launch and nine months after the release of that edition's first public beta.

There are several possible explanations for the usage difference of Windows 8's and Windows 7's public previews.

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[Night Hawk]

One thing I have mentioned would be having the option available to see either the Metro or Standard desktop mode at least during the initial set up of W8 where you could choose between touchscreen or a normal desktop. But that won't be happening for now unless something else is revealed in the Release Preview coming up next month. That will either make or break 8 for many!

As far as the finished product as far as Vista is concerned the need for SP1 in order to accurately indicate the actual amount of physical memory installed was the largest issue at the time. What was found was that many things simply would not go on the previous version not being compatible.

As for the 7 beta that was still a beta while the RC showed the true grit 7 was offering. No installation problems as far as programs you were installing by that time. The Good Bye to the Side bar was certainly welcome as well as the option to pin to the taskbar.

Vista is still a good OS but lacks in many ways when compared to 7. Both are far more stable then XP ever thought of being since MS never addressed the endless number of flaws until SP3 saw over 1,000 fixes! While the older version has remained popular over the years due to Vista delays and the initial reactions to Vista it simply wasn't kept up with as it should have been to match the fast pace in progressive hardware advances. "Blue Screen Special"!

For 8 MS is intent on pushing Cloud services! There's no doubt about this at all when you look the things they are taking away from the OS in addition to the major gui changes for the desktop. "Touchscreen and the Cloud" seems to be the new lMS logo theme.

 

[FuturDreamz]

One thing I have mentioned would be having the option available to see either the Metro or Standard desktop mode at least during the initial set up of W8 where you could choose between touchscreen or a normal desktop. But that won't be happening for now unless something else is revealed in the Release Preview coming up next month. That will either make or break 8 for many!

I don't think Microsoft needs to make the option front-and-centre on install. they can just have it as a checkmark somewhere in Control panel. If the user needs it then they can find it.

 

[Night Hawk]

That was simply one idea brought up in one discussion about where MS was going wrong so far with 8. Eventually someone will work out a guide on making a registry change to simply see the desktop load without the Metro enabled. But that would be for those running a 3rd party ware like Start menu 7.

The alternative to change modes during the initial install would be something like that you would see available in the settings. In Vista but not 7 the Classic theme or Aero was the two choices found in the Start/taskbar properties screen. Any change of mode option in 8 however would be a bit more involved and need an option like this during setup where the desktop isn't already loaded.

 

[poppa bear]

XP, Vista & Win7

Prior to purchasing Win7, there was a review in Australian PC magazine, comparing the various parameters for each system. XP was ahead of Vista in some, and Vista ahead of XP in others. However, Win7 was overall ahead of both XP and Vista collectively. It was a clear winner.

And that's why I bought Win7 and have had no regrets, aside from the intial hiccup of losing WinMail ... which was replaceable by WinLiveMail. Other apps like Movie Maker etc, which had to be downloaded from Windows Live could easily be replaced by third party software like DVDVideoSoft's program Free Studio Manager, which does it all and better and easier.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Win8 in comparison to Win7. As someone said earlier, MS will have a hard time killing off W7. And there simply aren't any major innovative benefits in W8 to coax buyers to upgrade and part with their hard earned $$$$; without even considering the reaction to Metro and loss of Start Menu.

Even XP is still alive and well, especially in the market for the older generation in everyday consumer use. I have XP Virtual on Win7 purely because I like playing online Reversi. And it is interesting to note that persons using this game via XP come from Russia, China, England, Poland, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Arabia, Holland, Isreal, ... and the list goes on. Last count just from my limited interacion there were players from over 25 countries world wide.

 

[wordsworth]

...And there simply aren't any major innovative benefits in W8 to coax buyers to upgrade and part with their hard earned $$$$; ....

And that is why I'm 99% certain I won't be "upgrading." I installed the Consumer Preview as a dual boot for two days and after that little use did not find anything that would make me interested in spending the cash to go to 8. The Metro interface is "in the way" IMO, albeit you can go to the corners or click on desktop to have it. I think MS should spend its time on making the OS better, and not concern itself with "new interfaces."

 

[Night Hawk]

MS would have been better offering the Metro as an option Windows gui change for those who wanted a touchscreen orientated desktop or offered up a Metro/touchscreen alternative edition which would have left an option for the standard desktop OS or Metro not simply jam Metro in everyone's faces expecting it to be a seller!

As for 7 any version that would follow would be an automatic hard sell to start with sincce 7 was an automatic success story. MS apparently didn't get the hint to follow that direction still retaining a desktop OS people could identify with. For the bulk of desktop users who were taken off guard and actually impressed with 7 W8 will tank fast in that market!

One of the reasons you still XP going strong in many places is likely due to them being developing countries as well as die hard XP fans who wouldn't upgrade into any newer version regardless. I know people here that refuse to even look at 7 certainly frowning at Vista are stubborn with XP except one friend now willing to run either XP or Vista refusing to consider 7.

(His better half has a Vista laptop explaining that one! You know how it goes!)

 

[poppa bear]

MS would have been better offering ... not simply jam Metro in everyone's faces expecting it to be a seller! For the bulk of desktop users who were taken off guard and actually impressed with 7, W8 will tank fast in that market!

Totally agree with your assessment.

I know people here ... are stubborn with XP except one friend now willing to run either XP or Vista refusing to consider 7. (His better half has a Vista laptop explaining that one! You know how it goes!)

Yep I know how it goes with better-half! LOL!

My son is a qualified PC techo and registered MS system builder, but he persisted with XP for personal use, up until about 6 months ago, saying it did everything he needed. At that point, as a gift, I built him an i5 CPU, SSD HD, with Win7 preinstalled. Once he started using W7, he never looked back; saying he couldn't understand why he hadn't done it yonks ago! Go figure people, eh!

 

[Night Hawk]

Some people seem to get glued to things like XP. I had the 32bit 7 RC on with XP on that person's desktop back in 2009 and he didn't like the Aero style theme. Vista still offered the Classic Windows look familiar to XP users. Plus he wants to run the desktop at lower screen resolutions and still doesn't realize you can run 7 lower as well.

I know one thing he won't like 8 any! unless he gets out and spots a touchscreen desktop or laptop in store some time once 8 is out. I took a snap of the 8 Start screen and applied as wallpaper on the cell phone here to show people what the next version will be bringing in. Also have 8 on a flash drive to let them get the feel of how it is with the CP.

How many like or will like 8? That one remains to be seen. At the same time many who tried 7 went back to Vista or XP while many simply reverted to the newer version when not really giving 7 an extended run other then beta or RC builds.

The one thing that will be a constant regardless of which version it is is the thought of "Each to Their Own"! With 8 I would still need to dual boot due to the other changes seen like with WMP as far as dvd playback since I use the player for the auto run of any vcd projects as well as the occasion music playback.(when things are quiet, no one else around, etc. )

 

[paarkhi]

It's too much a radial change in UI with win8, I'll be sticking with win7 for next few years

 

[Night Hawk]

Once you get past the Metro changes and use a tool like Start menu 7 although a 3rd party add on you then deal with the new settings and apps screens which isn't any major issue but simply a bit awkward at times the next thing to look at the removal of Media Center and the loss of support for dvd playback support in the WMPlayer.

The things people have grown accustomed to since WMP originally had to be downloaded and installed separately until XP came along following the ME, 2000 days are now being changed into what people will assume is a different OS entirely geared for mobile application no longer seeing the newer Windows as a desktop OS. For those still running XP they will be saying: "What is this stuff?".

For those running Vista or 7 or dual booting XP or Vista with 7 they will see what I see as far as MS not following the working result seen with 7! The shell of 8 has likely seen the progressive improvements while the gui and other features being changed and being the next version to follow 7 as well(a hard sell for many) will effect how people look at it

 

[paarkhi]

@Night Hawk, Its not only about the Start menu, the metro forced upon the user and the 3rd party start menu alternatives doesn't allow to right click and pin the documents in them.

I anyhow don't use WMP ever for playback, for audios I use Foobar2000 (Global Customizable Hotkeys) and for videos I use Media player classic or VLC, so that's not a worry for me anyhow but the other things which I said above and more doesn't make my mind to shift on win 8

 

[Vertex]

You will have noticed the reduction of free skydrive storage - why do you think that is ?

Yes, I've been a Skydrive user for years and recently, I got the notification that they would lower the free storage space from 25GBs to 7GBs. But since I've been an old user of Skydrive, they gave me the privilege to reclaim the whole 25GBs storage space. I thought that they just did that since most people don't even use Skydrive and those that do don't even fill more than 5GBs of space in there so MS has no need to allocate much storage space for Skydrive. I only store some Word and some other Office files there plus some pictures and compressed file archives but I still have maybe 24.6GBs free space left.

 

[Coke Robot]

@Night Hawk, Its not only about the Start menu, the metro forced upon the user and the 3rd party start menu alternatives doesn't allow to right click and pin the documents in them.

I anyhow don't use WMP ever for playback, for audios I use Foobar2000 (Global Customizable Hotkeys) and for videos I use Media player classic or VLC, so that's not a worry for me anyhow but the other things which I said above and more doesn't make my mind to shift on win 8

How is metro forced upon the user? That's like saying the start menu was being forced on the user back in Windows 95.

 

[GMan]

How is metro forced upon the user?

It's the first and only thing you see when starting a machine to Windows 8, by default.

 

[poppa bear]

My attitude is simple. I'm not paying $420, (Aussie), for a retail system that offers only marginal improvements on what I've already got in W7; and for which I have to do hacks to get back an inferior start menu to W7 status. Then there's the Metro 'derailment' issue! Or was that a head on collision in the tunnel?
Why, why, why ... should I!

Having spent a large portion of my life in marketing, the prime purpose of any sale is to sell BENEFITS to the consumer! So sell me the 'benefits' of W8!

How is metro forced upon the user? That's like saying the start menu was being forced on the user back in Windows 95.

Why should I be forced to take the metro, when I prefer to take the bus?

Maybe I'm ignorant, but isn't the good old US of A market based economy run on open competition to ensure consumer choice & best price already?

 

[SIW2]

For desktops/laptops/notebooks there is no competition.

At the top end (£899 Plus, Apple is king).

Apple do not operate at the low end.

There is only MS in that market.

Businesses face such barriers to moving they would not contemplate it.

MS can do what they like. The only limits are those imposed by competition authorities.

 

[poppa bear]

For desktops/laptops/notebooks there is no competition.

At the top end (£899 Plus, Apple is king).

Apple do not operate at the low end.

There is only MS in that market.

Businesses face such barriers to moving they would not contemplate it.

MS can do what they like. The only limits are those imposed by competition authorities.

Fair comment, but still does not give me a reason to buy W8 while W7 is still alive and active.

So, like the Eddie Fisher song says: "Tell me why, tell me why ... tell me why .. tell me why" ... I should buy W8???

 

[SIW2]

Exactly.

If MS release something the end users do not want, it doesn't sell in huge numbers.

That is not a big problem for MS - because the users stay with their existing windows - they have nowhere else to go.

 

[poppa bear]

Exactly.

If MS release something the end users do not want, it doesn't sell in huge numbers.

That is not a big problem for MS - because the users stay with their existing windows - they have nowhere else to go.

If that's the case and M$ consider themselves untouchable, then once W7 use by date is up, I would have to seriously consider Apple at the top end of the spectrum.

That's assuming no new players come into the bottom end; and M$ don't make changes to future versions. It's a real shame they don't consider their long term supporters, because I would prefer to keep using Windows.

Will Linux ever be a serious contender?

 

[Night Hawk]

@Night Hawk, Its not only about the Start menu, the metro forced upon the user and the 3rd party start menu alternatives doesn't allow to right click and pin the documents in them.

I anyhow don't use WMP ever for playback, for audios I use Foobar2000 (Global Customizable Hotkeys) and for videos I use Media player classic or VLC, so that's not a worry for me anyhow but the other things which I said above and more doesn't make my mind to shift on win 8

Granted many don't even use WMP. I'm not disputing that numerous other players may be preferred. The problem there is for those that do could on WMP as an expected feature already included in Windows. The same applies to those who would generally rely on the Media Center.

The new lock screen if a password has been assigned is what you first come to. I actually like the looks of that over the older user loge screen since you can very easily change the background image used!

But the changes as far as stripping away the Start menu>All Programs for an in your face screen full of large buttons and need to keep going back to it if you want to open let's say a second WE or browser window or even other app makes it awkward without 3rd party help. And the drawbacks of using a 3rd party tool are obvious as well.

While the move from 3.1 to 95 was a large leap look at what it brought with it in the progressive forward direction of an OS that suddenly automatically start up without typing the windows.exe command at a dos prompt as well as the improved gui and new media support with the introduction of the early not first but working WMP as well as OS/R2 offering support for 32bit apps on the old 16bit version there.

The things that would see 8 become a seller will be support for Hyper V and improvements in the core as well as the updated security seen with an updated Windows Defender that actually works for a change as far as detection! The massive changes in appearance and how to move around however are more likely to become the main stumbling blocks for anyone wondering if they should upgrade into 8 however. This will be where MS is spinning a roulette wheel in a sense as far as how well 8 will sell following 7's success.

And poppa bear people will be wondering whether Linux or the fruit company's OS would be the best option if they reject 8! They would likely be saying: "What will we now use for a new desktop OS for any new machines purchased?" as they stand around pondering on what to do next.

For many however 8 is going to prove itself as being a bit awkward to get accustomed to. In the next several weeks however we will be getting a much better idea of just what the retail release will be actually like. The CP is stil a beta to designed to introduce what could be merely new set up options if MS decides to work things out a bit differently. Once we have the RP due out next month we can say where MS is going right or wrong with 8.