During July and August, Windows 8 and 8.1 usage finally superseded Windows XP in worldwide operating system market share, according to statistics from StatCounter.
Persuading users to upgrade to Windows 8, and to at least stop using XP, has been an uphill struggle for Microsoft. Windows 8’s radical new design may have been off-putting to some, while XP is running on millions of old PCs around the world. It’s an important milestone for Windows 8 to have a bigger market share than its 14 year old predecessor.
XP still commands 14.7% of the OS market, but Windows 8 and 8.1 usage has now reached 15.22%. All of these are far behind Windows 7, which is the most popular operating system by far at 55%.
With Windows 9 expected in 2015, it looks like Windows 8/8.1 will be consigned to being one of Microsoft’s least successful releases. Rumors surrounding the development of Windows 9 suggest it will answer many of the criticisms of 8. Like Windows 7, which followed the disaster that was Vista, perhaps Windows 9 will have greater success.
Source: StatCounter
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