Maybe it's karma for Steve Ballmer trash talking iOS and Android earlier this week? A new study finds that Windows users are aware of the latest version but few of them are ready to make the switch.
USA Today is reporting that Microsoft Windows users are savvy enough to know about the company's latest Windows 8 offering, but many are avoiding it like the plague -- and worse yet, a third of them are planning a switch to iOS or Mac instead.
Antivirus software publisher Avast took a broad survey of Windows users and found a "lukewarm" reaction to Windows 8, Microsoft's bold new operating system which incorporates the same tiled user interface found on its Windows Phone devices.
The survey polled 1.6 million PC users on the day before Windows 8 hit the streets October 26. Out of 350,000 responses, 65 percent were running Windows 7, with 22 percent on the aging Windows XP and a mere eight percent on troubled Vista.
The results prove one thing: Microsoft has done a good job educating Windows users about the latest version, with six out of 10 respondents being aware of the upgrade. But only nine percent were willing to buy a new PC just to get Windows 8, and more than 70 percent were quite happy to stay with their current version of the OS.
That leaves only 16 percent of respondents ready to take the plunge into a new Windows 8-powered computer, with 30 percent planning to abandon Windows entirely for an iPad and even 12 percent ready to make the switch to Mac OS X.
"Many households already have multiple PCs, and people are keeping their computers longer," noted Jonathan Penn, Avast's director of strategy. "More people are going to the iPad as their second or third computing device."
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MleB
November 17, 2012 at 7:28am
This summer, I decided it was time to update my home / daily mobile / travel notebook. My trusty little XP powered netbook did everything I needed it to do (albeit sometimes slowly) and I had it 'personalized' just so, but perhaps time to move on.
Reasonably computer ambidextrous (PC, Mac and, yes, even Linux), my Windows experience had been thru Win 3.1, Win95, WinME, XP, Vista and Win7. I knew I was considering upgrading at a time when 7 was due to be replaced by Win8 and so I did my research and even played with the Win8 previews.
Hated it immediately - ended up buying a MacBook Air. Not even WinME or Vista had made me do the leap prior on my personal machine.
Recently, I had an opportunity to try the 'real' Win8 on both tablet and a very nice 11" Asus touch-screen notebook and still hated it. Not even the Microsoft 'pro' demonstrating them could get the OS to operate in a consistent manner or recognize all the touch commands.
Too many pretty bells-and-whistles signifying nothing here, folks. Apple may be guilty of building form over function, but Microsoft has given users tchotchkes over function. Shockingly bad, Microsoft.
nbrowser
November 16, 2012 at 6:42am
Of course not many want to switch, a massive change in the user interface can cause this.
I am a multi platform user, have both Windows and Macs in my home, Macs running from 9.2.2 to 10.8.2 and on the surface other than the dock in X, there isn't a ton of difference in basic operation, now when you compare say Windows 95 to Windows 7, there are some nice touches to make life easier but after running the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 and feeling lost after many years of PC use, I can honestly say Microsoft dropped the ball.
Whereas Apple keeps adding things to X that improve the user experience, Microsoft took too much away from Windows 8 as far as I'm concerned, the Aero improvements to the interface, gone, the frequently used Start button, gone, and then to force a touch centric desktop on to the vast majority of users who don't have touch capable monitors, not good.
Has anyone priced out a Touch Display lately ? They usually run at least $150 premium over a non-touch friendly display of similar size and specifications. Sure I love my iPhone's touch display, but as most home PC users on a desktop machine whether it be my mild mannered Mac Mini or my overbuilt over the top hand created gaming rig with dual displays, I'd rather not poke at the screens that I sit far back from since both above machines use 23 inch and larger monitors.
Anyways, I'll wrap this up now. Apple, keep on your path and you'll keep users, Microsoft, rethink your future, Windows 8 won't be the mega success Windows 7 was, Windows 7 was a giant leap over Vista and we all know about Vista...aka Windows ME 2.0...
