14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 is here with plenty of improvements for both touch and non-touch devices, and Microsoft explains that the new operating system includes features that can boost productivity no matter the input method.
Specifically, the software giant was mostly focused on making the new platform better on the traditional PC, adding features that make it easier to use with a mouse and keyboard, such as the Start menu and multiple desktops.
But that won't save the PC, IDC analysts say, adding that an 11.8 percent decline has already been recorded in Q2 over the same period the year before. Despite the arrival of Windows 10, that is.
PC sales to go down this year
And forecasts are not at all optimistic. IDC says that Windows 10 will continue to grow, but that won't help the PC, which is expected to continue its decline in the coming months.
"We see desktops shrinking overall," Jay Chou, IDC analyst, was quoted as saying by TechTarget. "Windows 10 won't change that in the near future. [Windows 10] helps to at least reduce a lot of the negativity surrounding Windows 8 and PCs in general. … But will that lead to new PC sales? I don't think so," he added.
And that definitely makes sense. Windows 10 is here to fix many of the annoyances in Windows 8, bringing back the Start menu and coming with eagerly-awaited features, but saving the PC is still one of the things that Microsoft must do, not only for the entire ecosystem, but also for keeping its platform alive.
Redmond has a goal of bringing Windows 10 on 1 billion devices by 2017, including here PCs, tablets, and smartphones, and there's no doubt that the boosting PC sales is what the company hopes to do in its adventure to achieve this milestone. Time will tell if Windows 10 is good enough to make a difference, but the free upgrade offer for Windows 7 and 8.1 users might not help much.