14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 has already adopted an ascending trend in terms of popularity, but Microsoft’s new operating system won’t grow enough in the next few years to overtake its fiercest rivals.
Gartner believes that Windows 8 and the RT version aimed at the tablet market will still struggle to challenge Apple’s iOS and Android in 2016, according to a new report.
Businesses, however, are expected to be a bit more interested in this new OS, as current statistics demonstrate that end-users are mostly the ones buying Windows 8.
Several studies have shown that companies and organizations prefer to stay away from the latest Windows contraption, as it comprises features often described as confusing and that would require additional training for their employees.
Windows 8 is expected to hold a 39 percent of the tablet and ultramobile market for businesses in 2016, Gartner says.
“For most businesses smartphones and tablets will not entirely replace PCs, but the ubiquity of smartphones and the increasing popularity of tablets are changing the way businesses look at their device strategies and the way consumers embrace devices,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.
A study conducted by TechRepublic.com has revealed that nearly 50 percent of all companies prefer to stay away from Windows 8 for the moment and wait for at least one service pack before making the move to the new OS.
Waiting for a service pack isn’t the best idea though, as sources close to Microsoft’s businesses have hinted that the Redmondians could stop releasing service packs completely. Instead, they wish to focus on smaller updates that could be released a bit more often.
In addition, 23.8 percent of those included in the survey said they have absolutely no intention to deploy Windows 8 on their company computers, while 10.7 percent admitted they could do so in the next 12 months.