Microsoft Windows 8.1 delighted millions of customers. Can Windows 10 make it too?
Live tiles, built-in apps, touch or type mode, office anytime – if these distinctive OS features are what you’re looking for in a computing device, then that’s the one powered by Windows 8.
In October 2012, Microsoft released Windows 8, the renowned tiled OS capable of delivering rich and powerful features through “Metro” design language and touchscreen technology. A year later, Microsoft released the improved Windows 8.1 version. From then on, significant activities in the Desktop OS market in favour of Microsoft were observed.
A 2014 report from NetMarketShare revealed that from 12.26% in September 2014, Windows 8.x market share climbed to 18.65% in November of the same year.
Curious about the numbers, I decided to investigate what triggers that sudden growth in that slice of the pie. Here’s what I discovered.
2-in-1 Devices Topped on the “7 Reasons to Choose Windows”
On its website, Microsoft cited 7 reasons on why you should choose Windows 8. Here’s my brief summary of that.
It’s easier. It has the apps you love. It is compatible with a wide range of devices. It can help you get work done virtually anytime, anywhere, on any device. It can be customized, personalized and transformed the way you want it. It allows you to access multiple devices using a single Microsoft Account. It is at Xbox.
The way I see it, the compatibility feature with a wide range of devices obviously did a lot of work for that significant increase in market share in a given period.
Specifically the 2-in-1 devices, also known as the tablet and laptop hybrids, are what prompted consumers to go crazy with this OS way back in 2014.
Windows 8.1 Apps was a Big Hit
According to MetroStore Scanner, there are now over 196,000 Windows apps available at the Windows Store. Consumers love for apps was obviously a huge contribution to the Windows 8 popularity in 2014. From entertainment to personal finance, shopping to game, music to sports, office workers, students and home-based moms have thousands of reasons to touch then Windows 8.1 powered screens and then get busy with the apps they love.
No doubt, Windows apps played a big role in the sales increase of Windows 8.x OS.
Windows 10 is Coming Soon
While the much awaited Windows 10 is still raw inside the oven, there are already speculations about the flavours and garnishes that will soon entice the consumers’ appetite on this pie. Microsoft announced last month that the improved tiled OS will be out anytime soon.
Microsoft also announced that any device running on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1 will be able to upgrade for free to Windows 10.
Wow. Microsoft rocks on that!
Here’s more. Windows 10 will have better user interface than its predecessor. It will also use Cortana as the main search engine instead of adopting Bing which is integrated in Windows 8.
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft re-engineering efforts have delighted the before unhappy customers of Windows 8. With the recent updates on Windows 10, I think this software product is going to become another big hit in the Desktop OS market.
Now, what are your thoughts?
