14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are both becoming more commonly used in Europe and new statistics provided by market researcher StatCounter indicate that this month the combined market share of the two is bigger than Windows XP's.
Windows XP is no longer receiving support from Microsoft, which means that computers still running it could become vulnerable overnight once hackers find an unpatched flaw in the operating system.
As a result, more and more users are jumping ship these days and according to stats for the first 18 days of May 2014, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are together more popular than Windows XP in Europe.
These figures are pointing to a 13.59 percent market share for Windows XP, while Windows 8 and 8.1 reached 13.99 percent this month. This means that Microsoft's modern operating system continues the growing trend, but it's still very far from challenging Windows 7, which continues to be the undisputed leader of the desktop OS market on the Old Continent.
StatCounter claims that Windows 7 is currently powering 54.92 percent of the computers in Europe, so it's pretty clear that it could take years until the modern OS flavors are becoming so popular.
As for Windows XP, Microsoft's efforts to move users to a different platform continue, with the company refusing to include this particular operating system in this month's Patch Tuesday rollout that was started on May 13.
The problem for Windows XP users is that some of the vulnerabilities that Microsoft patched in the other Windows versions could also exist in their own, so cybercriminals might actually reverse these fixes in order to find a way to break into their computers.
Microsoft obviously warns that the only way to remain secure is to upgrade to a newer OS version, possibly Windows 8.1, which has everything it needs, including official patches, to protect users.
“Windows XP is 12 years old. It’s typical to end service for software as it gets older and technology evolves. Most of us have replaced cell phones and even our cars over the last 12 years – now it’s time to replace your Windows XP computer with a new PC. Or you can check to see if your Windows XP computer can run the new Windows. We’ve outlined your options and are here to support you as you make your next step,” Microsoft said with several occasions in its efforts to move users off Windows XP.