66% of all Windows users still use Windows XP

Hi guys.

This type of stuff is usually riddled with obfuscation or sheer ignorance on the part of the people peddling these types of Statistics.

Home users can change their OS or even their entire computers as many times as they want to - and can just do it "when they feel like it".

Managing an OS change say of over 8,000 corporate computers on the LANS of a large International company CANNOT be done in 5 minutes.

Not only do a zillion users have to be trained in using the new systems there are usually a lot of VERY EXPENSIVE applications such as SAP ERP type software that needs to be DECENTLY tested that it will actually work on a New OS and a proper migration path needs to be planned as well. Sometimes the ERP software doesn't perform as expected on the newer OS -- and it can take YEARS also for these companies to actually upgrade their stuff too.

There are also financial considerations -- such as new hardware has to be acquired, software licenses purchased and 1001 items of "change control", planning and fall back.

Going from XP to VISTA was a No No for most corporations -- at the time the hardware wasn't up to it and the other applications weren't ready.

W7 is stable, and runs quite decently on all sorts of hardware so you will probably see some major corporations beginning to plan for a W7 roll out across their Lans -- but this will still take a FEW years to complete.

People need to understand the whole difference between joe bloggs going to a computer store, buying a new PC and installing a whole load of new applications and trying to organise a major OS upgrade in a large corporate environment.

Cheers
jimbo

Yeah, that sounds about right!

I agree with jimbo45 if I may. To change over form XP to Windows 7 could and most likely will cost a large company a lot of money and time. They would have to leave the XP systems operating while testing Windows 7 with all the application and training there people.

Productivity will take a nose dive too. For people that have never used Vista or windows 7, it will take them time to find there way around. Some will catch on quick some won't.

Most of the people I know who still use xp but want to upgrade to windows 7 either can't afford a computer capable of running windows 7 or have no choice but to stick with xp because that is what is being used at their place of employment