by Felix Richter, Statista.com
After weeks of rumours, Microsoft confirmed that it will release a major update to Windows 8 later this year. The update, codenamed “Blue”, will probably address the usability problems many users of the radically redesigned operating system have complained about. Tami Reller, a high-level executive working in Microsoft’s Windows division, admitted that Windows 8 has a learning curve and that usability could be improved.
The release of a potentially significant redesign within a year of the initial release indicates that Microsoft is truly worried about the performance of Windows 8. A look at the latest market share figures won’t do much to calm those worries. Half a year after its release in October 2012, Windows 8 adoption remains weak, as the majority of PC users favours Windows 7 and Windows XP over the latest Windows version. Even the vastly unpopular Windows Vista remains ahead of Windows 8 in terms of market share. This is according to market researcher Net Applications, who tracks billions of pageviews per month on 40,000 websites worldwide.
The pressure is definitely on for Microsoft, as “Blue” could be the last chance to fix Windows 8 and turn it into the success the company needs it to be.
Today’s chart shows the global market share of selected desktop operating systems in April 2013.
Click on graphic for larger image.
