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The mystery is over! Up until now, we'd had no idea when Windows 8 was actually going to launch, aside from the incredibly vague "second half of 2012." Does that mean now? Or the holiday season? Halloween, perhaps? Now we know: Windows 8 will be hitting store shelves in October. However, that news breaks right as a report digs into the adoption rates of the various Windows 8 Previews and finds them far, far less used than their Windows 7 counterparts.
This morning, Microsoft CFO Tami Reller told a gathering of Microsoft Partners that the company is on track to see the gold version of Windows 8 released to manufacturing in about a month, during the first week of August. OEMs will than have a couple of months to lock in new hardware designs and load the OS onto PCs before the general launch takes places at the end of October, though no firm date was nailed down.
Will the public care when Windows 8 launches, however? PC World dug deeply into data from analytics firm NetApplications and found that in June, 0.18 percent of all PCs that visited the firm's network of websites were running some flavor of Windows 8. NetApplication's numbers show Windows 7's Previews had a 0.75 adoption rate at a similar point in its lifetime.
Comparing those percentages against the estimated total PC installed base puts things into even harder numbers, assuming you're fine with assuming that NetApplication's numbers are representative of the whole: Windows 8 Previews account for roughly 2.9 million PCs worldwide, while around 9.4 million systems were running Windows 7 Previews four months after the final beta launch.
Why do you think there's such a big discrepancy there? Do you think that's a testament more to the public's poor perception of Windows 8, or of Windows 7's rock-solid reputation? People couldn't wait to get away from Vista, after all, while Windows 7 is widely viewed as near nirvana for a traditional desktop UI. Or are people just not as likely to play around with release previews as they used to?
Comments are closed on this article
Xenite
July 09, 2012 at 1:40pm
I think they are aggressively pricing it because they KNOW it's going to flop. We are talking worse than the Vista debacle.
Mikey109105
July 09, 2012 at 1:19pm
Windows 8 hits stores in October? Well.., I can positively tell you than not one single fu...ok, I think you get my drift, lol.
Shalbatana
July 09, 2012 at 1:00pm
I'm in the perfect position for this. I have a netbook with touch ability that came with Windows7 home starter (ultimately resulting in limited touch ability). I'll put 8 on this and see how I like it. If it's good, it will go on the other computers.
Meantime, my wife would kill me if I put a new os on her machine (she doesn't like learning new os's), and I have an old system that won't run anything above XP (it's got an AGP card).
Best of OS past, present, and future.
As for the article, I think a lot had to do with how bad people hated Vista, and how happy they are with 7. As a comparison, how many people stuck with Vista's preview when they had XP? (of course another bad example for almost the opposite reasons).
VAMPYREANGELUS
July 09, 2012 at 12:27pm
i am sure you will all disagree, but i am still staying with xp, it does everything i want and i never have any problems with it. if 2000 pro played games, i would still be using it.
Budman_NC
July 09, 2012 at 2:19pm
You go right ahead Vamp. I'm still rockin' an AMD based XP rig that anyone on my wireless network can print to as well as running Folding@Home. When my 8 year old grand daughter comes over, she loves to play Mario 3 (NES Rom) on it with my Saitek game controller. There's still some life left in my XP rig. =)
BryceBooth
July 09, 2012 at 1:39pm
Windows 7 is the superior OS, but if you are happy with what you've got, and it meets your needs, rock that XP proudly my friend.
SilverSurferNHS
July 09, 2012 at 6:48pm
well ya might say that, but in our time, if an indie dev made a non-resource-heavy OS capable of all the things XP is capable, we'd praise them.... but its bash msft season so....
mellamojay
July 09, 2012 at 11:59am
This is a HORRIBLE comparison... why do you ask? People who were having to deal with the SHIT that was Windows Vista were excited to get away from it. Windows 7 is a god send compared to that. As such people are in less of a rush to swap to windows 8. This is why so many more were willing to deal with pre-release software for windows 7. Will people care enough to change.. not as fast but it will not matter because new PC's will come with Windows 8 and as such the average consumer will buy it. People who want to be on the bleeding edge will buy it because its faster than Windows 7. the only demographic who will have a change are those who are PC savvy enough to have recently purchased Windows 7 / build a new rig BUT do not care about having the absolute fastest. IE not very many people in the big scheme of things.
John Pombrio
July 09, 2012 at 3:46pm
Vista really WAS broken when it first came out. MS did not let anyone test drive it and it was released with a LOT of bad and broken drivers rushed into service. It was a good year before my machines started behaving correctly all the time. Win8 cannot be compared to Vista in that respect as it has been thoroughly vetted by the beta program and I am having no issues whatsoever with running it.
As far as the changes MS made, that is a BIG problem...
SPreston2001
July 09, 2012 at 12:54pm
Most people who download the previews are the tech savy people like ourselves who like to have the latest and greatest so I really dont think it was because Vista was that bad. I think its more because people arent perceiving Windows 8 as much as Win 7. While Vista had its problems, it really wasnt that bad for me. Hell Win7 is just a cleaned up version of Vista! Win8 throws a monkey wrench in everything you've come to love and know about Windows and wants you to adapt to their new way of doing things. I got so frustrated when I installed the preview on my laptop! Nothing was where I expected it to be and navigating the system seemed very clumsy. Im sure alot of it was just getting used to the new UI but I didnt like it one bit...
guntlager
July 09, 2012 at 11:55am
"Why do you think there's such a big discrepancy there?"
Easy, just try using Windows 8 for a couple of hours. Microsoft couldn't even provide a usable Consumer Preview so people could really experience W8.
Or, just cut to the chase and read the comments on the Building Windows 8 blog.
TommM
July 09, 2012 at 11:40am
Win 8 is not a desktop OS, it's a portable device OS.
I'll be sticking with Win 7 64-bit forever it looks like. That's fine - I'm very happy with Win 7.
John Pombrio
July 09, 2012 at 3:45pm
With all the hate mail going on about Win8, there are some nice features that work better than they do in Win7. Multitasking installs works so much better for instance.
Never say never...
SilverSurferNHS
July 09, 2012 at 4:22pm
another must have for me is the way displays are used. each is individually initialized without affecting one another when jumping into a fullscreen 3d app or changing resolutions
+ multi-taskbar/ auto color changing with individual wallpapers
USraging
July 09, 2012 at 11:40am
Why change something that's not broken? i think windows needs to change its marketing practice and start instead of redesigning the wheel have the improved on features of the os available for purchase as a expansion to the operating system. i only make this statement because i am very happy with win7, it has not gotten old for me yet, still feels fresh and new.
Insurgence
July 09, 2012 at 11:38am
I believe part of the problem is that they are trying to replace a working product. Windows XP was aging and looked it too, while Windows Vista was just garbage. Between those two things Microsoft needed to come out with a new updated OS that had the shiny new packaging and worked. They did that. Windows 7 was what Vista should have been. Problem is, now they are trying to force 8 down peoples throats. The desire for a new product just is not there, and the Metro UI does not bring the desire it should because it is only really useful on devices that have a good touchscreen
praack
July 09, 2012 at 11:32am
WINDOWS 8 Bashing !!
well actually just saying what I have said before- it's a good OS for tablets and touch screens- not for desktops or standard laptops- sorry.
if you look at your current base of hardware most are not what the OS is intended for - and if you look at the os and compare it to most business use- can you really expect most business to be sitting at thier desk using a touch screen?
so for the tablet and touchscreen world - Kudo's Microsoft!
for the desktop and laptops that do not play in touchscreen world - EPIC FAIL Microsoft
Dorito Bandit
July 09, 2012 at 11:35am
I honestly believe most folks are disappointed with their experience with these Windows 8 previews. It takes too much clicking to navigate through Windows 8. It's just not as straight forward as previous versions of Windows. I can see where older folks or those new to Windows would find it hard to navigate. Hell, it took me for ever to finally figure out how to shut my damn pc down. Plus, closing applications isn't as straight forward as it should be. You may have MANY applications running in the background that you thought you had closed. I can see where the Metro interface would be fine for touch screen devices, just not so friendly to those of us who use a keyboard and mouse; which is a hell of a lot of us!
Microsoft should give it's users a choice of the Metro user interface or the standard Windows user interface.
Also, Microsoft should quit charging so much for a Windows release. Apple charges $29.99 for their OS! Everything on a Mac looks nice and it just works! Sure, Apple computers are expensive, but they are a joy to use. Microsoft just needs to get it together.
I have some questions about the Windows 8 upgrade; I have a copy of Vista Ultimate, do I have to install it on my computer in order to purchase the Windows 8 upgrade or can I just install the Windows 8 upgrade? I'm not crazy about Windows 8 (as of now), but may buy a copy if I can Install it without having to install Vista first! Plus, the upgrade price isn't too bad for a new version of Windows. However, I may very well just take a pass on it. Depends on how I'm feeling. :)
Oh, by the way, do you ever get mustard in that damn beard, Brad? Curious minds want to know! :)
Brad Chacos
July 09, 2012 at 5:17pm
Nah, I don't like mustard. Sriracha and BBQ sauce, on the other hand... It's called Nature's Napkin for a reason!
MarioJP
July 09, 2012 at 12:32pm
"Also, Microsoft should quit charging so much for a Windows release. Apple charges $29.99 for their OS! Everything on a Mac looks nice and it just works! Sure, Apple computers are expensive, but they are a joy to use. Microsoft just needs to get it together."
Except Apple is a hardware company MS is software. They are not going to profit anything out of 29 bucks. Although they are having a upgrade program for a limited time only.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx
I am sure Microsoft is aware of it. Until Microsoft have their own hardware like Apple this isn't going to change soon. Can you run Mac OSX on a non Apple hardware because Apple Hardware are behind the times when it comes whats under the hood?. never mind the retina display nope..
Rest my case.
Dorito Bandit
July 09, 2012 at 1:55pm
Microsoft isn't just a software company! They make keyboards, mice, headsets, phones and XBox, too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft
Sure, the Windows OS is what they're well known for, but not all that they do.
Also, yes you CAN run Apple OS on non-Mac hardware, just as you can run Windows on a Mac. Running Mac OS on non-Mac hardware is called a Hacintosh http://www.hackintosh.com/
MarioJP
July 09, 2012 at 2:37pm
That does not count. Can you just insert mac OS X disc without any type of boot loader or extra tinkering like you can on a mac?. Hackintosh does not count and its against Apple's License Agreement. In fact I heard that Mountain Lion is going to be harder to install on a Hackintosh or simply may not work at all. So again thats not legit.Secondly why would you want to. Just get a mac. These so called hackintosh does not even takes advantage of the latest hardware properly and even then all it takes is one apple update away to break the whole thing and back to the drawing board just like they did with 10.7.3 and suddenly vmware won't boot osx anymore. Trust me i like tinkering things cuz you can but it is not legit. And also i was not referring to their extended division either. (mice & keyboards consoles etc)
so argument still stands lol.
CrystalMeph
July 10, 2012 at 11:45am
Boot loader or not, you can still do it. And no matter what updates Apple comes up with to break the loaders someone will always find a work around.
And please don’t make me laugh about the "latest" Mac hardware.
Fyi, the cpu, the ram, the video card, HD (and other disk drives) are all the same on both platforms. The only thing you get with an apple product is the bitten fruit badge of douchiness.
So, MS hardware are extended divisions... By that account Iphone, Ipad, IOS, OSX, iMac desktop and laptop would also be separate or "extended" divisions.
Your argument stands in a pool of its own urine, everyone can smell it but you.
Jacob Stanbery
July 09, 2012 at 12:15pm
You do have to have XP, Vista, or 7 on the computer to upgrade. You can also upgrade from the Windows 8 RP as long as you installed it alongside of on top of one of the aforementioned OSs.
MarioJP
July 09, 2012 at 3:30pm
which most users have already. Heck you can probably install windows 7 and that would count as an upgrade path. But either way it does not matter as it is for a limited time only. I sure won't be upgrading to windows 8. Not because it sucks. I don't see the need to upgrade at this point. Win7 has plenty of life left. Xp in the other hand has got to go!!
Bullwinkle J Moose
July 09, 2012 at 11:28am
Not me
The only thing that is important is the hardware at this point
Does it still run XP?
I like the option of running any virus I want or installing the latest Israeli spyware on my system without going to the Microsoft store to get the same for a lot more money
Check the motherboard for XP drivers before you buy a dozen and get them before they're gone
35 watt Sandy Bridge works great with XP
loozer
July 09, 2012 at 11:23am
The RP was almost perfect, at least after uninstalling all of the metro apps.
No aero, no desktop gadgets, no RTM for me though.
John Pombrio
July 09, 2012 at 10:58am
Well I care, Brad! Heh.
I would assume that Windows 8 will be preinstalled on most computers come October. Since very few people go through the bother of uninstalling and reinstalling an operating system on a new computer, Win8 may stick around. It will be interesting to see how many new laptops comes with a touch screen and how many are sold with Win7 installed instead of Win8.
The same goes for upgrades tho. Not many people will bother to upgrade to Win8 when Win7 works well. Hence the low price for the upgrade.
I expect that Win8 will be a slow starter with most all of the users coming from buying new laptops or desktops. It will have a long ways to go before catching up to Win7, if it ever does.
Brad Chacos
July 09, 2012 at 11:56am
I actually have an old, clunky, pen-driven touchscreen tablet PC with XP still installed on it. It's pretty much my daughter's, as I've loaded it up with drawing software and she likes to doodle. I think I'll spend the $40 and switch it over to Windows 8 when it comes out.
Neufeldt2002
July 09, 2012 at 11:24am
Although I consider Windows 8 a turd I have to agree with you on this John. I am hoping that Windows 7 will be offered as a replacement for some time, but just in case I am updating the last of the Windows XP boxes to Windows 7 before it is too late.
USraging
July 09, 2012 at 11:31am
no, dont hold back just come out and tell us how you feel about win8. lol turd...
John Pombrio
July 09, 2012 at 11:22am
BTW, nice find for the operating system stats, Brad. This is the first I have seen anything published about the true adoption rate and I would have missed the PC World article.
Supall
July 09, 2012 at 10:54am
Cue the Windows 8 bashing in...
I think Windows 8 is a good OS and it'll be neat to see how it pans out with the launch of the Surface Pro. I don't see it supplanting current desktop OSes anytime soon, due to the new approach. People will stick with Win7 & WinXP for awhile to come.
Khoiboi
July 09, 2012 at 11:54am
In my opinion, the whole Windows 8 thing is a "if it's not broken, fix it anyways" situation. Windows 7 is everything I need in an OS, but Windows 8 is going to integrate stuff like touchscreen and the whole Metro UI thing - it'll all just eat up more resources and force us to get more RAM and etc. It's a good OS for a tablet and maybe a phone, but the user experience with Windows 8 feels stagnated as of now; maybe things will get better when Windows start receiving feedback from users. Plus Windows Tablets and Phones seem sub-par to android anyways.
