14 DAY TRIAL // 2014 was quite the best year for Microsoft’s Windows platform, given the fact that the company pulled the plug on Windows XP and Windows 8/8.1 still performed well below expectations, but there’s one Windows version that really had a good run in the last 12 months.
Windows 7 was, is, and will remain the number one desktop platform for many months from now, and it’s really easy to predict that, especially when taking into account the fact that it now has a 56 percent market share.
This means that more than one in two desktop computers are being powered by Windows 7, and looking back at last year’s performance stats, it’s easy to see how this particular OS version remained number one for so many months.
Poor Windows 8/8.1 performance
First and foremost, Microsoft’s modern operating system, Windows 8 and 8.1, failed to meet expectations once again and attracted only a small number of users.
At this point, the two modern OS versions barely have a combined share of 13 percent, while Windows 7 is obviously very far ahead with 56 percent.
Windows 8 was launched in October 2012, and since then, its adoption figures remained very low, with many people describing it as the new Vista and pointing out that the changes that Microsoft made to the interface forced many people to refuse to update.
Windows XP end of support
In addition to the disappointing performance of Windows 8, the end of Windows XP support also helped Windows 7 attract more users.
Basically, users who were running Windows XP and who were now forced to update refused to choose Windows 8, deciding instead to switch to Windows 7 because of its familiar interface and features that make it easy to work on the desktop, including the Start menu.
Windows 10, which is scheduled to launch this year, is expected to get some users off Windows XP and Windows 7, and thus boost the adoption of Microsoft’s modern operating system.
According to people close to the matter, Windows 10 should launch in the fall of 2015, and there’s no doubt that until then Windows 7 will further increase its market share and reach new records.