Report: Windows 8.1 Finally Surpasses Windows XP

[junkeymonkey]

This should be a good sign that consumers are accepting Windows 8.1 while ditching Windows XP.

accept it ???? no I feel forced in to it.. like with vista I think they told everyone to stop giving it support in drivers and what not to render it useless or like now new hardware if you want its full features you need to use 8 or higher cause 7 and below may not cover certain things .. and now like I read over the new dx12 seems if you want it you will go with a newer windows for it ..

its all about the money go round [right around to Microsoft]

 

[Christopher1]

I run a xp box a vista box and a 7 box so all my programs can be used

What programs are you running that won't run on Windows 7 or 8? If they are anything other than games from the Windows 95-ME era, time to drop those programs and find a better alternative.

 

[Nerdtopia]

windows XP was a great operating system for it's time, but now it's time to move on windows 8.1 and windows 10 are the future. time for people to stop living in the past. The fact that companies have to train their employees to use a computer is pathetic honestly, its 2014 If you don't know the basics on how to use a computer then shame on you.

 

[junkeymonkey]

time to drop those programs and find a better alternative

there you go spend more money each time windows changes .... whats better it get less and less what use to be included is now a separate package for just a few $$ more .. ol'bill got everybody right where he needs them- dependent on him his licensing and royalties , his way or no way

so your good with buying a program for windows that was $100 and now you go to 8.1 and find you now got to get the new improved windows 8 one that's less features but now its a $130 and cloud based ?? I just don't go for that around here .. oh and don't forget 7 is next in line for the axe and I see it getting it right after the win 10 release .. the end is near

 

[Nerdtopia]

time to drop those programs and find a better alternative

there you go spend more money each time windows changes .... whats better it get less and less what use to be included is now a separate package for just a few $$ more .. ol'bill got everybody right where he needs them- dependent on him his licensing and royalties , his way or no way

so your good with buying a program for windows that was $100 and now you go to 8.1 and find you now got to get the new improved windows 8 one that's less features but now its a $130 and cloud based ?? I just don't go for that around here .. oh and don't forget 7 is next in line for the axe and I see it getting it right after the win 10 release .. the end is near

It's already been confirmed that 7 support will stop this coming January.

 

[USAFRet]

time to drop those programs and find a better alternative

there you go spend more money each time windows changes .... whats better it get less and less what use to be included is now a separate package for just a few $$ more .. ol'bill got everybody right where he needs them- dependent on him his licensing and royalties , his way or no way

so your good with buying a program for windows that was $100 and now you go to 8.1 and find you now got to get the new improved windows 8 one that's less features but now its a $130 and cloud based ?? I just don't go for that around here .. oh and don't forget 7 is next in line for the axe and I see it getting it right after the win 10 release .. the end is near

It's already been confirmed that 7 support will stop this coming January.

Mainstream support -Jan 13 2015
Extended support - Jan 14 2020
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

 

[Nerdtopia]

time to drop those programs and find a better alternative

there you go spend more money each time windows changes .... whats better it get less and less what use to be included is now a separate package for just a few $$ more .. ol'bill got everybody right where he needs them- dependent on him his licensing and royalties , his way or no way

so your good with buying a program for windows that was $100 and now you go to 8.1 and find you now got to get the new improved windows 8 one that's less features but now its a $130 and cloud based ?? I just don't go for that around here .. oh and don't forget 7 is next in line for the axe and I see it getting it right after the win 10 release .. the end is near

It's already been confirmed that 7 support will stop this coming January.

Mainstream support -Jan 13 2015
Extended support - Jan 14 2020
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

Yep that's where I found that out.

 

[darkmendez]

They are still will be more support for Windows 7 till 2020....If they cut support in January, that will cause panic. Microsoft will not get rid of their extended support, Nerdtopia don't dramatize it....you'll make people hate Windows 10.

 

[Nerdtopia]

How will the lack of support for an old operating system cause hate for a newer one? If anything it will make people want to upgrade to windows 8.1 or 10. The way I see it is if they are no longer offering support then it's time to upgrade to a operating system they are supporting.

 

[iogbrideau]

Just wondering why the various Windows versions are treated as separate entities, whereas all the OSX versions (Yellow Pebble, Baby Kitten, Slightly Rebellious) are rolled into one?

I agree with that. Per version numbers, it's either they separate the different OSX versions, or they put all the Windows versions with the same number into one entity which would make all versions since Vista as one entity (all of them being Windows 6.*).

 

[MidnightDistort]

It's not surprising to say the least, nor newsworthy that XP is finally losing market share. I've seen a bunch of XP machines kick the bucket or at the very least sputtering in the sense that the machine is so old that these folks barely have much more than 700MB of RAM and a 10GB hard drive.

It only makes sense with it being tougher to find W7 (though that doesn't mean W7 machines are not being sold still), Ebay has plenty of W7 machines. But yes, MS should be happy people are finally abandoning XP, or is it that since the end of support date users have been looking for options and might already have bought a new pc/tablet/phone to replace their old clunky Xp machines? They just have not migrated all their software and files over to their new toys yet. Pretty sure businesses finally took the plunge to upgrade their systems as well, many have stated that they would only continue using XP for 5-8 months past the end support date of XP. They most likely were deciding on what machines to get and what the cost of upgrading would be. It's not much of a shocker, i did the same thing when support ended for W98 i ended up moving to my laptop which had XP. I still occasionally used W98 before i upgraded that machine to XP.

 

[skit75]

Don't forget about all those ELO touchscreen panels at fast food chains/restaurants & bars. The fortune 500/1000 companies might have switched by now but there are a TON of these in the field that still run Embedded Windows XP.

 

[MisterZ]

I will never stop using Windows 7.

 

[USAFRet]

I will never stop using Windows 7.

People said that about Windows 98
Or DOS
Or OS/2

 

[Martell1977]

Just wondering why the various Windows versions are treated as separate entities, whereas all the OSX versions (Yellow Pebble, Baby Kitten, Slightly Rebellious) are rolled into one?

I agree with that. Per version numbers, it's either they separate the different OSX versions, or they put all the Windows versions with the same number into one entity which would make all versions since Vista as one entity (all of them being Windows 6.*).

What would be the point? OSX has approximately 8.11% of the market(per this article), so breaking that down would be like breaking down the Vista numbers in Vista, Vista SP1, Vista SP2. If OSX had a much larger market share, then it might be worth noting individual versions. At least they separated out the iOS market share, but still that number isn't worth breaking down into versions.

 

[ultameca]

I'm so disappointed that people aren't willing to try windows 8.1, It's the operating system that mostly won me back from the alternatives. I tried the recent windows 10 preview and I hate it.

I was able to make the Start Screen the default again rather than the archaic start menu but, I couldn't find a way to make the windows store apps stay full screen which ruined the experience of using them.

In this world he who has the loudest voice wins and it looks like the lowest common denominator is going to win.

 

[Martell1977]

I'm so disappointed that people aren't willing to try windows 8.1, It's the operating system that mostly won me back from the alternatives. I tried the recent windows 10 preview and I hate it.

I was able to make the Start Screen the default again rather than the archaic start menu but, I couldn't find a way to make the windows store apps stay full screen which ruined the experience of using them.

In this world he who has the loudest voice wins and it looks like the lowest common denominator is going to win.

You obviously miss the point. Many people tried Windows 8/8.1 and hated it. You like it, good for you, but you are not even close to the majority. I really like Windows Phone 8 on my phone and Windows 8 on the tablet, but on a desktop I find it clunky and ugly. I keep my desktop as "clean" as possible, with only icons for my most used programs and the rest is easy to find on the well organized Start Menu.
I do not want to see blocks for programs I rarely use, I don't want to see ones I never use. I don't want my screen to look like Fisher-Price ate my start menu and puked it up across my screen. And, I don't want to have to change screen to open a program that I don't have an icon for on my desktop. And I don't need things like Windows Update, among others, to be full screen.
In it's current state, I see no redeeming value to Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7. I am keeping an open mind about Windows 10, but so far, nothing compelling to me.
Yes there are programs like "Start8" that I could install, but why? Windows 7 gives me everything I'm looking for right from the start, why should I have to pay for Windows 8.1 and pay for Start8, when I have what I need?

You may think that the "lowest common denominator is going to win", but maybe it's more that the majority doesn't want their desktop/laptop to look like a toy for a 4 year old.

 

[USAFRet]

If you currently use and like Windows 7, there is little reason to buy and switch to Windows 8.
I you are looking for a new build, there is little reason to not go with Windows 8.1.

 

[Christopher1]

windows XP was a great operating system for it's time, but now it's time to move on windows 8.1 and windows 10 are the future. time for people to stop living in the past. The fact that companies have to train their employees to use a computer is pathetic honestly, its 2014 If you don't know the basics on how to use a computer then shame on you.

Agreed. They taught my 4 year old cousin in pre-school how to use a computer and she already knew the basics of using a computer from using her pre-school age tablet at home.
EVERYTHING is going to computers today. From taking notes to recording lectures to... whatever you wish to name.

 

[Kintaroo]

Vista looks beter than 8, and was updated with dx11.
I have no reason to change it.

 

[SpId3Y]

Such Comparison is pointless, they speak as if there were any Hardware, Driver support available for Windows XP at the moment. . . Every older Operating systems gets no support for new hardware or software launched and such statistics are ment for just marketing Gimmiks..

 

[yumri]

Such Comparison is pointless, they speak as if there were any Hardware, Driver support available for Windows XP at the moment. . . Every older Operating systems gets no support for new hardware or software launched and such statistics are ment for just marketing Gimmiks..

there arent any new WOHL drivers for windows XP as Mircosoft wont allow for that but that doesnt mean there is no drivers for new hardware for it just no certified drivers for new hardware for windows XP and of course no offical Microsoft support. I am sure like with anything else windows XP will live on for many ppl with unoffical support, cracked DX11 and DX12 and open sourced .net 4.5 and etc. on it as face it if the ppl really want to stick with windows XP they most likely are computer savvy enough to make the unoffical support work for them and/or just to migrate to Ubuntu and do it that way.

 

[billgatez]

Yah. Forced obsolescence will do that.

 

[MidnightDistort]

I'm so disappointed that people aren't willing to try windows 8.1, It's the operating system that mostly won me back from the alternatives. I tried the recent windows 10 preview and I hate it.

I was able to make the Start Screen the default again rather than the archaic start menu but, I couldn't find a way to make the windows store apps stay full screen which ruined the experience of using them.

In this world he who has the loudest voice wins and it looks like the lowest common denominator is going to win.

You obviously miss the point. Many people tried Windows 8/8.1 and hated it. You like it, good for you, but you are not even close to the majority. I really like Windows Phone 8 on my phone and Windows 8 on the tablet, but on a desktop I find it clunky and ugly. I keep my desktop as "clean" as possible, with only icons for my most used programs and the rest is easy to find on the well organized Start Menu.
I do not want to see blocks for programs I rarely use, I don't want to see ones I never use. I don't want my screen to look like Fisher-Price ate my start menu and puked it up across my screen. And, I don't want to have to change screen to open a program that I don't have an icon for on my desktop. And I don't need things like Windows Update, among others, to be full screen.
In it's current state, I see no redeeming value to Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 7. I am keeping an open mind about Windows 10, but so far, nothing compelling to me.
Yes there are programs like "Start8" that I could install, but why? Windows 7 gives me everything I'm looking for right from the start, why should I have to pay for Windows 8.1 and pay for Start8, when I have what I need?

You may think that the "lowest common denominator is going to win", but maybe it's more that the majority doesn't want their desktop/laptop to look like a toy for a 4 year old.

Start screen? No thanks, that was the biggest reason why i hated W8x and why i refused to get it. I'd probably stick with XP too if i didn't have W7 but at least W7 is still available in certain areas such as Ebay. W10 would be far better without the tiles, but it's easier to get rid of that and can still use the OS with ease to update it and then download a real start menu such as classic shell, they should be supporting W10 pretty soon.

 

[littleleo]

Since they no longer support Windows XP how do they know how many are still in use?