Microsoft dominated the technology conversation over the holiday weekend, first with rumors of a January Windows 10 event, followed by a report which showed that Windows XP users are at an all-time low. The Windows 10 event is rumored to take place after International CES® 2015, which returns to Las Vegas, Nev. January 6-9.
With the initial announcement of Windows 10 in September, Microsoft promised a more in-depth look at the operation system would come in early 2015. According to The Verge, who cities unnamed sources in breaking the news, the January Microsoft event will touch on several consumer-focused offerings, including a new touch interface called Continuum—a feature that facilitates automated switching between a touch-screen and mouse-controlled interfaces depending on the hardware. Lack of this type of feature was the main user complaint for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
Continuum wasn’t yet ready when Microsoft execs took Windows 10 for a spin at the September unveiling, which showcased many of the new operating system’s business-centric functionalities, which we outline here: 5 Takeaways From the Windows 10 Announcement . In January, we’ll likely hear how the Windows 10 experience will translate for Windows Phones, Xbox One, and Surface Pro tablets.
NetMarketShare.com released their November breakdown for the operating system user segment. The key takeaway is that Windows XP users have reached an all-time low, sliding to 13.5 percent, down from 17.5 percent in October. Windows 7 users continued to grow, adding 0.7 percent over the course of the month; Windows 8 tacked on 0.8 percent of market share in November as well.
Desktop Operating System Market Share, November 2014. Source: NetMarketShare.com
It would appear that Windows users—which make up a staggering 91 percent of the operating system market—have started taking action moving away from Windows XP now that Microsoft has pulled the plug on updates and support. This is a wise move, especially for business users, who must take into account the performance degradation and malware risks associated with running the expired operating system.
For more about Windows XP end of life and migration tips, here are a few helpful resources:
- Quick Tips for Upgrading from Windows XP
- 5 Excuses for Still Running Windows XP
- Ongoing promotional offers for Windows upgrades
It has not yet been announced whether Windows XP users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10; we will continue to closely monitor Microsoft news and updates for this.
