Windows 8 was an unmitigated disaster, he says

Jun 15, 2015 12:06 GMT  ·  By

Windows 10 is often referred to as a game changer for Microsoft, mostly because its predecessor, Windows 8, was pretty much a failure, and only few people actually installed it.

That’s the same thing that Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics, has recently said, pointing out that Microsoft is more or less sticking to an alternating release of Windows, with one good, one bad version coming out in the last decade.

Windows XP and Windows 7 were both successful releases, he stresses, whereas Windows Vista and Windows 8 failed to meet expectations and did more harm than good. That’s why many want to remain on Windows 7, as users do not want to give up on an operating system that still works well and will continue to do so until 2020 for something that’s yet to be confirmed as a successful product.

“It looks like there’s an A team and a B team. The B team continues to strike out and the A team hits home runs. But Microsoft really needs to hit a home run and take things to the next level - and it’s getting harder and harder,” the analyst says.

The Windows 7 saga

If we look back at Windows 7, this particular OS version has experienced an amazing success in the last few years and even climbed on the first position in the desktop market with more or less help from Windows 8.

Ever since its debut in 2012, Windows 8 has been considered a flop, and many decided to switch back to Windows 7 or refused to upgrade, simply because Microsoft made some odd changes to the new operating system (such as the removal of the Start menu).

That could become a big problem for Microsoft, as Windows 7’s success could convince some users to hold back from the upgrade to Windows 10, despite the free upgrade promo that runs in the first 12 months of availability.

Windows 7’s support will end in 2020, and many believe that Microsoft could get through another Windows XP moment and struggle to convince users to give up on it, just as it did with the OS discontinued last year.

Time will tell if Windows 10 has what it takes to become the Windows 7 killer, but for the moment, it’s no secret that many want to stick to the latter for a little longer.