Microsoft’s new Windows 8 not making waves
MICROSOFT’S flagship new software, Windows 8, has seen weak sales in its opening weeks on sale, and is now installed on less than two per cent of computers worldwide, data released yesterday claimed.
Market share research from statistics firm Net Applications showed that the redesigned operating system, released at the end of October, is installed on just 1.77 per cent of computers worldwide.
The figures highlight the difficulty Microsoft has experienced in encouraging its users to pay to upgrade their software. Windows XP, released 11 years ago, is installed on 39 per cent of computers.
Windows 8, which was released to great fanfare by Microsoft, is the most radical redesign of the Windows software in years, with an interface designed to move Microsoft into the tablet and smartphone age.
Recent months have seen it lose ground in the computer operating system space, where it has been dominant for decades, as Apple’s improving profile has led to more people buying Mac computers.
However, sales of the new software did mean Windows gained market share for the first time in six months, rising by 0.29 per cent to 91.74 per cent of desktop computers.