Despite the improvements that Microsoft has brought to its newest operating system, Windows 8 and 8.1 continue to lose market share to older iterations of Windows, particularly Windows 7. Even after Microsoft dropped support for Windows XP, the practically ancient operating system is absolutely dominating Windows 8 and 8.1 in terms of market share.
Last month, web analytics firm NetMarketShare released its usual batch of monthly desktop operating system usage share figures, and it showed Windows 8.x tumbling dramatically. The figure made little sense, and a day later the firm released revised data which showed the tiled OS still shedding a large chunk of share, but not quite as badly. In December’s revised figures NetMarketShare had the OS falling 5.13 percentage points for a total share of 13.52 percent, placing it back way below Windows XP. This meant January’s figures were always going to be interesting. Surely the tiled OS would rally wouldn’t it? But of course this is Windows 8.x, Microsoft’s least successful operating system in recent memory, so no. Its usage share remains utterly rubbish.
