Windows XP overtakes Windows 8 as the world's most popular Operating System.

[studiot]

 

It says you're a horrible human being for using IE.

 

 

This is a quote from another thread where it was off topic and , I hope, said in jest.

 

Today I reveived the following from a technical news service I subscribe too, I found it wryly interesting.

 

 

If it was left to Microsoft, XP would be dead and buried, and all XP users would have bought expensive new PCs running Windows 8 by now. After all, it's 9 months since they stopped providing security updates and fixes for XP systems.

 

 

Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't seem to be paying attention to what Microsoft want. The latest statistics gathered by Internet market researcher, Statcounter.com, show something quite unexpected –

the number of people using XP to browse the web actually rose in December, overtaking the number of people running Windows 8.1.

 

Statcounter found 11.84% of Internet users were using XP in November and 13.21% in December, with Windows 8.1 rising from 12.12 to 13.01% between November and December.

 

Now, you might think this is a one off, caused by faulty statistics collection but another Internet market research firm, Netmarketshare, found the same trend too.

 

Which appears to confirm that even, though it is old, XP is making a resurgence. Even Christmas didn't do much to boost the number of people switching to Windows 8.1 machines.

 

Windows 8 has had struggling sales since it was first released, mostly due to Microsoft ignoring their customers and producing an interface that the vast majority of PC users find simply too difficult to use.

 

Fortunately, Microsoft have now listened to the concerns of their customers, and the upcoming Windows 10 release will see a return of the Start menu and some other features that make the operating system easier to use on a desktop or laptop computer.

 

It seems that, despite Microsoft's best efforts, many people have realised that their XP system still works well enough, if they take the right security protection steps, so they are planning to carry on with their trusty old operating system regardless of what Microsoft think.

 

[imatfaal]

FYG Windows 7 outnumbers both XP and 8.x by about 3 to 1

 

I loved Windows XP - but now use Linux

[Externet]

I do not know what Windows after XP is.

Linux too, since 2005.

[Greg H.]

Windows XP was (and is) popular because it just farking worked. You turned your computer on, it booted, and you could go about your day. The reason you still see high numbers of Windows XP users is because, even years old, it continue to just work and do what the users ask of it. Kudos to Microsoft for getting it right (finally).

 

Windows 7 enjoys the popularity it does because it (for the most part) shares Windows XP's model of just working.

 

Windows 8's only saving grace is that it is not (quite) as terrible as Windows ME was.

 

I use Windows 8.1 on my home PC, and I find it to be reasonable (especially with an SSD), but it has too many extra bells and whistles for me to be completely happy with it. I don't like getting reminders from facebook apps from my OS, for God's sake.

 

FWIW, my grandmother's PC was still using Windows 98 when she died in 2004 because it still did everything she asked of it.

Edited January 12, 2015 by Greg H.

[Sensei]

(...)

Which appears to confirm that even, though it is old, XP is making a resurgence. Even Christmas didn't do much to boost the number of people switching to Windows 8.1 machines. (...)

People bought new computers/laptops with preinstalled 8 on them, but their old computers/laptops are still working, so they could give them to kids, parents, friends..

 

Buying just operating system as a gift for Christmas (even for yourself)? C'mon! Reinstall of system is pain, not pleasure.. Whole workplace is destroyed. Unless you buy also new hard disk with OS. Then why not buy whole new laptop/PC?

Edited January 12, 2015 by Sensei

[studiot]

 

FYG Windows 7 outnumbers both XP and 8.x by about 3 to 1

 

Do you have referenced statistics to back this up?

 

I provided some (sorry I can't vouchsafe their sources but they are referenced so those who know can check)

[Sensei]

Do you have referenced statistics to back this up?

Google "operating system statistics"...

http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems

[studiot]

Sensei

 

You are referring to market share in 2014, not the total number of working installations in use.

 

Since it is now difficult to buy a new machine with XP, I'm suprised how many are claimed in Wiki figures.

[imatfaal]

Sensei

 

You are referring to market share in 2014, not the total number of working installations in use.

 

Since it is now difficult to buy a new machine with XP, I'm suprised how many are claimed in Wiki figures.

 

The wikipedia page Sensei linked to has browsing statistics. Unless you turn it off your browser reports your os when a website asks. Desktop OS share in pct 56/18/13 for W7/WXp/W8

[Sensei]

Click Timeframe and pick up "This month"..

These data are real time, probably from analyze of browsing people visiting websites around the world. In HTTP header there is mentioned which OS they use.

Isn't just 12 day of 2015 year?

Edited January 12, 2015 by Sensei

[StringJunky]

Sensei

 

You are referring to market share in 2014, not the total number of working installations in use.

 

Since it is now difficult to buy a new machine with XP, I'm suprised how many are claimed in Wiki figures.

It appears to be the less affluent countries that are keeping the XP numbers up, which is not surprising really.

 

Vietnam 38.79% China 27.35% India 26.88% Algeria 24.25% Italy 20.31% Spain 19.26% Russian Federation 17.40% France 12.04% Germany 8.54% United States 4.52%

 

http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2014/16-37-per-cent-Users-Still-Run-Windows-XP-Kaspersky-Lab-Statistics-Say

[Delta1212]

XP was a great operating system. Windows 7 basically covered the bare sheet metal of XP with an exterior facade of colorful plastic.

 

Windows 8 was the result of saying "Wow, this looks great, let's build the whole thing out of plastic!"

[Phi for All]

I agree with Greg H, Windows XP and Windows 7 work, with a minimum of fuss. And they're used by so many other people that it makes things go smoother.

 

Unlike Vista, ME, or a few other crap OSs Microsoft forced on us. I put up with Windows 8 because I can make it work more like Windows 7, and ignore the other junk. If I had a touch-screen, it might be different.

 

Reinstall of system is pain, not pleasure.. Whole workplace is destroyed. Unless you buy also new hard disk with OS. Then why not buy whole new laptop/PC?

 

Yeah, I did this with my latest laptop, reformatted my Windows 8 HD with my Windows 7 disks. I wouldn't do this again, I'd just by a new HD with 7 on it and swap it out.

[MonDie]

Running XP is equivalent to not vaccinating your children. No sandboxing. Not even a file permission hierarchy.

[StringJunky]

Running XP is equivalent to not vaccinating your children. No sandboxing. Not even a file permission hierarchy.

Yeah, what a bunch of Luddites as well.

Edited January 12, 2015 by StringJunky

[studiot]

 

The wikipedia page Sensei linked to has browsing statistics. Unless you turn it off your browser reports your os when a website asks. Desktop OS share in pct 56/18/13 for W7/WXp/W8

 

 

So the figures were from those logging on to Wiki, not those using computers?

 

How many commercial computers are there that are doing the job they were intended for and where the employee could not or should not log on to the internet, in general or Wiki in particular?

 

For instance in a company network, often, every user logs onto the company home page as standard, but most user's only legitimate use of the net is company Email.

[Sensei]

It's not visitors of Wiki. But some unknown group of websites.

Imagine somebody is visiting google/msdn/yahoo etc.

It's his/her start page.

Whenever page is requester, HTTP request contain data about your computer.

They gather people data, and make statistics.

 

Wikipedia only stats are here

http://stats.wikimedia.org/wikimedia/squids/SquidReportOperatingSystems.htm

460 million unique visitors in month.

http://reportcard.wmflabs.org/

Edited January 12, 2015 by Sensei

[MonDie]

Windows XP was (and is) popular because it just farking worked. You turned your computer on, it booted, and you could go about your day. The reason you still see high numbers of Windows XP users is because, even years old, it continue to just work and do what the users ask of it. Kudos to Microsoft for getting it right (finally).

 

Windows 7 enjoys the popularity it does because it (for the most part) shares Windows XP's model of just working.

 

Windows 8's only saving grace is that it is not (quite) as terrible as Windows ME was.

 

I use Windows 8.1 on my home PC, and I find it to be reasonable (especially with an SSD), but it has too many extra bells and whistles for me to be completely happy with it. I don't like getting reminders from facebook apps from my OS, for God's sake.

 

FWIW, my grandmother's PC was still using Windows 98 when she died in 2004 because it still did everything she asked of it.

Does nobody think about security!?!?

Not that I use Windows anymore, but I happen to know that Windows 7 implemented a file permissions hierarchy. This is what the distinction between "Low", "Medium", and "High Integrity" files is all about. This means that somebody who hijacks your browser (or other port-connected program) will have limited access to your machine. I imagine they'll be restricted to "low integrity" files only, since that would be safest. Note: Linux systems had this all along

Windows 8 implemented sandboxing. Sandboxing allows you to fine-tune the permissions for individual programs. So instead of Firefox saying "Oh, I can only access Low Integrity files", Firefox will say "Oh, I can only read/edit/append/execute these specific files, because only these permissions are necessary for me to function properly." Note: Ubuntu Linux has had AppArmor for half a decade

But none of these ensure network security, which is relatively OS independent.

Edited January 12, 2015 by MonDie

[Phi for All]

Running XP is equivalent to not vaccinating your children. No sandboxing. Not even a file permission hierarchy.

 

Obviously, the people who are making XP so popular are only using it for specific, low-level tasks. I know people who haven't updated their system in a decade, but they only use it for one thing, like email, or to play games. Nobody who is seriously* using a computer for general business or studies is surfing or running spreadsheets on an XP machine.

 

 

* As defined by me.

[studiot]

 

Nobody who is seriously* using a computer for general business or studies is surfing or running spreadsheets on an XP machine.

 

Well I could point to many businesses that use XP regularly as their workhorse, from Shell International, to Best Western Hotels, to small businesses like Blackberries restaurent in SW UK ...........

 

Sorry to disappoint.

 

It is only governments with too much money (haven't they all) that can afford to upgrade willy nilly.

[John Cuthber]

 

Well I could point to many businesses that use XP regularly as their workhorse, from Shell International, to Best Western Hotels, to small businesses like Blackberries restaurent in SW UK ...........

 

Sorry to disappoint.

 

It is only governments with too much money (haven't they all) that can afford to upgrade willy nilly.

LOL

Working for the government, Hoping to get upgraded to W7 some time soon. Who knows, we might even get IE8.

A little while ago they accepted that some of us might be allowed to use Chrome (as long as the automatic updates were turned off- this is to "improve" security)

 

 

I got my dad a new PC for Xmas and then spent some time trying to get it to behave like XP. He's 82 and it was going to be easier to fix the PC than teach him how to dig through stuff to find obscure useless odds and ends like the desktop and the shut down button.

[MonDie]

(as long as the automatic updates were turned off- this is to "improve" security)

 

Because the JohnCuthber is a network vulnerability that mustn't have free reign!!!

 

Coffee.

Edited January 12, 2015 by MonDie

[Phi for All]

 

Well I could point to many businesses that use XP regularly as their workhorse, from Shell International, to Best Western Hotels, to small businesses like Blackberries restaurent in SW UK ...........

 

Sorry to disappoint.

 

It is only governments with too much money (haven't they all) that can afford to upgrade willy nilly.

 

I don't know about how Shell uses them, but Best Western Hotels has taken a lot of flak from consumer sites like Yelp for outdated business technology. And if I was needing a serious business hotel, I wouldn't choose Best Western for that reason.

 

And again, many businesses have limited applications they need computers for, and their needs for that application are met with Windows XP. That doesn't mean it's a good general OS for most people. I used to have a program I loved, that did exactly what I needed it to do, on an Amiga system. It was great, but my needs expanded and support didn't.

[studiot]

 

LOL

Working for the government, Hoping to get upgraded to W7 some time soon

 

Well my wife works for the NHS and was 'upgraded' 2 weeks ago.

 

(Almost) nothing now works, and the comp techs have taken up residency in Pharmacy.

 

But if you truly want 7, then come to Somerset.

 

Mondie, XP has something (if implemented) that Vista and above gave up.

The Limited User.

 

I have seen so many users insiste they must have administrator privileges, then get hit.

 

Quote from Russinovich (you have heard of him?)

 

 

Over 80% of malware requires administrator privileges to act.

So you can cut your exposure by over 3/4 in a stroke by only accessing the internet as a limited user.

[John Cuthber]

 

Because the JohnCuthber is a network vulnerability that mustn't have free reign!!!

 

Coffee.

Indeed.

So they give this "vulnerability" network access and let him write programs.

I think it needed something a lot stronger than coffee to get them to think that was a good idea.