Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Windows 8.1 overtakes Windows 8 in desktop OS arena
C/NET ^ | 06/03/2014 | Lance Whitney

Posted on 06/03/2014 2:13:28 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Friendlier to PC users than its prececessor, Windows 8.1 continues to eke out a higher share while Windows 8 slips downward.

net-applications-desktop-os-may-2014.jpg Net Applications

Windows 8.1 is now more dominant than its predecessor, at least based on all desktop OS traffic seen by Net Applications.

For the month of May, Windows 8.1's share inched up to 6.35 percent from 5.88 percent in April. That gave it just enough of a nudge to steal third place from Windows 8, which earned a 6.3 percent share, down from 6.36 percent the prior month.

Windows 8.1's gradual ascension over its predecessor in the desktop market should hardly come as a surprise. Launched last October as a free update, Windows 8.1 added several features missing in action from the touch-driven Windows 8, notably a Start button, a boot-to-desktop option, and a way to sync the same background for both the Start screen and desktop. An update released this past April added more items to appeal to traditional mouse and keyboard users. Microsoft will try to further placate PC users with the return of a full Start menu, though that may not arrive until sometime next year.

In first place, Windows 7 took home more than half of all desktop OS Web traffic for the first time ever in Net Applications' stats, rising to 50.06 percent from 49.3 percent in April. On the flip side, Windows XP continued to lose share a little bit at a time, slipping to 25.3 percent in May from 26.3 percent the previous month.

The slow but steady rise of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 at the expense of the now unsupported XP is a promising sign, certainly in the eyes of Microsoft. For the past couple of years, the software giant has been urging users to upgrade from XP to a more modern operating system, either Windows 7 or 8. In early April, Microsoft finally ended support for XP, meaning that users will no longer receive bug fixes or security updates, putting them at greater risk to security threats.

Still, Windows XP remains firmly in second place in the desktop OS market. Responsible for a quarter of all desktop OS traffic, the now almost 13-year-old operating system won't be going away completely anytime soon.



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: operatingsystems; windows8; windows81
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-130 next last

1 posted on 06/03/2014 2:13:28 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

#Windows you suck.

2 posted on 06/03/2014 2:15:36 PM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

I don’t know why some of you work so hard to keep yourselves behind the 8 ball with your computers.

If the update is free, why not update your computer?

Would you have stayed with XP service pack one and keep complaining about it’s flaws, instead of updating it?


3 posted on 06/03/2014 2:22:57 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Ted Cruz and Mike Lee-both of whom sit on the Senate Judiciary Comm as Ginsberg's importance fades)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“Microsoft’s Do-Over Finally Installed In More Machines Than Original Screw-Up Is.”


4 posted on 06/03/2014 2:24:17 PM PDT by Steely Tom (How do you feel about robbing Peter's robot?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion
I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

Ditto that!

Those who have done this upgrade have any input for us doubters?

5 posted on 06/03/2014 2:24:17 PM PDT by JDoutrider
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

Windows 8.1 is eating away at Windows 8.0’s market share.

First off, that someone thinks this is worthy of an article is ridiculous. 8.0 offers a free upgrade to 8.1 when you run Windows Update. Every single person who takes advantage of the offer is one in the plus column for Windows 8.1 and at the same time a minus in 8.0’s column. The upgrade is free and distributes as a download.

Secondly, Windows is OEM bundled on 85% of all new desktop and laptop personal computers. Microsoft isn’t licensing 8.0 as OEM, so it stands to reason that 8.1 would be increasing its installed base. The same goes for Windows tablets. While they are not nearly as numerous as Android or iOS, they are all going to be 8.1 in the future. (I almost said “going forward,” but I hate that phrase almost as much as “reaching out” when I call someone up on the telephone.)

Thirdly, that I am even commenting on such an inane topic reflects poorly upon me.


6 posted on 06/03/2014 2:27:13 PM PDT by webheart (We are all pretty much living in a fiction.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

just click it ,it fixes a lot of things


7 posted on 06/03/2014 2:28:08 PM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

8.1 and it’s update remove many of the rough edges in 8 in my experience


8 posted on 06/03/2014 2:32:30 PM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I do like 8.1 better than 8.0, not as if that says very much. I was ticked that I had to go through the store though, I would have been happier with media or an ISO because if I blow a disk, I will have to repeat the process and it was no quick upgrade.


9 posted on 06/03/2014 2:35:19 PM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ShadowAce

For your TECH Ping list.


10 posted on 06/03/2014 2:35:29 PM PDT by CedarDave (CNN: The "Crisis News Channel" - all Flight 370 hysteria and global warming blather, all the time.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
First:  Win 8

Second: Win 8.1

Third:  Win 8.1 Update
The third iteration on Win 8 isn't bad. Less tile world, more Win 7 like interface. It's really not half bad. But it's certainly not Win 7.
11 posted on 06/03/2014 2:40:01 PM PDT by upchuck (Support ABLE, the Anybody But Lindsey Effort. Yes, we are the ABLE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

I would have stayed with 95 if they supported it.


12 posted on 06/03/2014 2:40:14 PM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mountainlion

That’s nice, but have you always just taken the version you bought and refused the updates?

When they tweak 8 to make changes people requested to improve it, why would you refuse the update, but make a point of complaining about the 8 you choose to keep?


13 posted on 06/03/2014 2:45:07 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Ted Cruz and Mike Lee-both of whom sit on the Senate Judiciary Comm as Ginsberg's importance fades)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

We finally switched from XP SP3 to Win 8.1. It was a bitch to get all the programs transferred over. However I did use the mess to upgrade to all the current versions in those programs, the biggest one being to Office 2010 (I have multiple machines and will not pay for single usage with 2013). I had to start using Live Mail instead of Outlook Express. So far I am not disappointed although it is a learning curve to use it.
I would give Win 8.1 a 9 out of 10 rating. Probably that is affected by the change in screens and usage. Give me six months and that number will go up.
I do not use the “Start” screen, the IPad wannabe. I have designed my desktop to function basically like the one with XP.

AND HERE IS A WARNING, especially for those of you on a metered Internet usage. We are on a satellite ISP living 70 miles from the nearest Starbucks. When I started the conversion I thought my usage was high because of the upgrading, downloading e-mail storage, etc. It was not. We almost blew our monthly allotment that first month. I discovered that even when we did not use the new machine our usage was going up. There are several on-line, real time do-hickeys on the “Start” screen, including finance, sports, news, etc. They were constantly downloading when the machine was on, even though we were using the desktop and not the “Start” screen. With two new computers we were sucking stuff from the Internet like crazy.

I placed those functions in disabled mode and have had no problem since.

Welcome to the new world.


14 posted on 06/03/2014 2:45:43 PM PDT by ProudFossil (" I never did give anyone hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell." Harry Truman)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’ve had 8.1 for a couple of weeks, spent most of that time trying to make it do what I want done.


15 posted on 06/03/2014 2:47:54 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DonaldC
I blow a disk, I will have to repeat the process and it was no quick upgrade.

I agree. If you clone your Win 8 hard drive, it can quickly be replaced with the clone.

My fav clone maker is this. FRee, of course. I've cloned hundreds of disks with nary a problem. Quick. No muss. No fuss. It just works.

16 posted on 06/03/2014 2:48:19 PM PDT by upchuck (Support ABLE, the Anybody But Lindsey Effort. Yes, we are the ABLE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

In Jan, I bought a new Ultrabook that came with Win8. I immediately upgraded to 8.1 so no experience with Win8.

That said, Win8.1 blows away Win7 in both speed and stability.

My Win8.1 Ultrabook boots-up almost instantaneously.

Checking 1 box allows Boot-up direct to Desktop - just like Win7.


17 posted on 06/03/2014 2:51:15 PM PDT by newfreep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

complaining about the 8 you choose to keep?

I would go back to XP if they had not told me the computer could not handle it. I remember a lot of updates screwing up the system and I do not want to have to fix this one also. I bought the computer and 8 came with it. I had no choice. No one has said that they really like 8.1, they hint that they tolerate it better than 8.0.


18 posted on 06/03/2014 2:52:02 PM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
What is hurting Windows 8.1--even with Update 1--is the fact you have to deal with that tiled user interface, which is totally alien to anyone used to the user interface standard pioneered by Windows 95 (Windows 7 is essentially a modern refinement of what was pioneered by Windows 95).

I'm sticking with Windows 7 until Microsoft does something to resolve the dichotomy between the Windows 7 UI and the Windows 8 Modern touchscreen UI.

19 posted on 06/03/2014 2:53:16 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Oddly the article almost totally ignores the popularity of Windows 7


20 posted on 06/03/2014 2:54:06 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-130 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson