It would seem the extensive promotional activities that Microsoft indulged in haven’t done much for the company’s latest OS, Windows 8, if figures from the OS adoption report from Net Applications, a web analytics firm, are to be believed.
Data compiled by Net Applications shows that Windows 8 has only snagged only 1.6 percent of the web traffic usage share (all machines) through till December 22. In comparison Vista had already garnered a 2.2 percent usage share within the same time span.
Currently, analytics show that Windows 7 is the most prevalent operating system in the market, accounting for 48.89 percent of the Windows machines accessing the net. Windows XP occupies the second place, at 43.54 percent. Windows 8 (desktop and touch versions combined) accounts for only 1.21 percent. Vista currently holds a 6.23 percent share of the Windows machines accessing the net.
The report does reveal an alarming truth that Microsoft’s Windows 8 might have failed to pick up the way the Redmond crew had hoped it would. While the analytics are alarming, we can’t help but wonder if the analytics are not correctly accounting for the several beta versions of Windows 8 that were released prior to the release of the final version of Windows 8.
Many users are probably still using the Consumer and Release Preview versions of Windows 8 and have not yet upgraded to the final version of Windows 8.
Source: Net Applications