14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 was one of the hottest topics last year, with many people criticizing the new operating system for the confusion it created among consumers, pretty much because of the new Modern UI and the lack of a Start button.
But statistics provided by market researcher Net Applications indicate that despite this wave of criticism, Windows remained the top desktop operating system throughout the year of 2013 and is very likely to remain so thanks to an incredible market share.
Windows reached a market share of 90.73 percent in December 2013, while Mac OS X was the runner-up with only 7.54 percent.
Even though so many users said they migrated to Linux, the open-source Windows alternative was only powering 1.73 percent of desktop computers worldwide last year.
Of course, this is clearly good news for Microsoft, especially because so many people criticized the company for making Windows 8 an operating system that’s too much focused on tablets and touch-capable devices.
Redmond, on the other hand, knows that it needs to make its modern platform a bit more appealing for desktop users, so Windows 8.1 came with a Start button and options to boot directly to desktop and thus skip the Start screen and the Modern UI completely.
At the same time, it’s rumored that Microsoft is preparing even more improvements in this regard, with some people close to the matter hinting that the software giant is planning to bring back the Start Menu in a future Windows release.
The company hasn’t yet confirmed this, but if the report is indeed true, the next Windows version has clearly many more chances to impress, pretty much because it would make the entire platform not only more user-friendly, but also easier to use especially for beginners who only want to stick to the desktop interface.