14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 continues to be the number one operating system on the market and figures provided by third-party market researchers show that it’s powering nearly half of the desktop PCs out there.
PC manufacturers know that Windows 7 still has consumer appeal, so despite the launch of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 they keep selling PCs equipped with this particular OS version, pointing to the steady demand as the main reason for their decision.
HP, for example, has recently restarted sales of Windows 7 PCs, offering large discounts for those who decide to go for this OS edition instead of the modern Windows 8.
“Back by popular demand. Customize a new HP PC with Windows 7 and save up to $150 instantly,” a new promo listed on HP’s website reads, as spotted by Neowin.
Despite Windows 7’s surprising popularity, Microsoft is now getting ready to debut the first large update for Windows 8.1 at the BUILD developer conference in April, while also finalizing plans for the upcoming Windows 9 release.
According to people familiar with the matter, Windows 9 is going to represent a major step made by the Redmond-based tech giant towards reconciliation with its users, after many of them got all disappointed with the lack of a Start Menu and the introduction of the Start screen in Windows 8.
But Windows 9 is rumored to bring back the traditional Start Menu and thus make the operating system more familiar and user-friendly for everyone, especially for those who had a hard time adapting to the new interface that lacked a Start button.
In the meantime, Windows 7’s market share keeps growing, especially because it’s the main destination of all Windows XP users who are forced to migrate to a new operating system due to the planned retirement of XP on April 8.