Windows 9 Expected To Push Consumers Off Windows XP

Windows 9 is probably one of the most talked about topics as of late. So far we've heard two release windows for the rumored platform: Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. The latter date has lingered around for a bit, while the Fall release window suggests that Microsoft may be itching to move away from Windows 8.

Regardless, even Dell is talking about Windows 9, indicating that the unannounced platform, which may be revealed in April during the BUILD conference, will likely convince WindowsXP customers into upgrading to the latest Microsoft release. The "cool factor" of the Modern UI will eventually win everyone over.

Is Windows 8 really that horrible? Definitely not. The problem Microsoft has had in the past is that the platform is too different from the norm. Walk into an electronics store, and the average desktop consumer sees touchy tiles on every screen. There's a desktop underneath all that flashy content, but the average buyer may not realize that, and instead seek out a solution with Windows 7 still installed.

Windows 8.1, launched in October 2013, definitely made the platform feel more like a single unit than the previous Desktop/Modern UI double-feature. Windows 8.1 GDR1, scheduled to launch in April, will supposedly help merge the two together. Windows 9? Even more.

As previously reported, the problem with Windows XP for many may not be with fighting off a Windows 8 upgrade, but replacing legacy software that doesn't play nice with the likes of Windows 7. For businesses that could be a big expense.

Still, Dell believes that Windows 8.1 and Windows 9 should pull businesses and consumers away from the dying, cobwebbed platform. "When Windows 9 comes out, we're also seeing a lot more interest around developing the transition strategy for their OS," explains end user computing marketing chief Margaret Franco.

"There is a pressure point in order to start accelerating OS migration because in April, that's when the support for XP ends. We're seeing much more interest around OS planning and strategy planning, such as finding out what the benefits of touch are," Franco added.

In a recent report from the IDC, Lenovo was the worldwide leader in the fourth quarter, owning 18.6 percent of the PC market. Hewlett Packard came in second with a 16.8 percent market share, down 8.5 percent from the same quarter in 2012. Dell ranked as third with a 12.2 percent market share, Acer in fourth with 6.7 percent and Asus with 6.1 percent.

Here in the United States, Hewlett Packard was in the lead with 24.6 percent of the local market share, down 12.3 percent from the same quarter in 2012. Dell came in second with 21.7 percent, and saw a 6.6 percent growth year over year.

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