Windows 7 gains more market share than Windows 8 and 8.1

Layback Bear said:

Before we get Windows 7 SP-1 Microsoft is going to have to make a commitment to Windows 7.
SP-1 for Windows 7 would put another nail in Windows 8 coffin.

Getting Windows 8 and having to install a bunch of 3rd party programs to get Windows 8 to work in some reasonable fashion is not a selling point.

Making Windows 7 even better is not a selling point for Windows 8.

I know nothing of Windows 8 Enterprise. It might work great and be wroth promoting for those businesses that need Enterprise.

I'm guessing you meant SP2 for Windows 7, as SP1 is already out.
I just recently installed 8.1 Enterprise on my laptop. Haven't used it much yet but it looks no different than 8 Pro did. The IT guy would have more control over updates and be able to lock it down. The UI is the same as the retail Windows 8.1. 8 Pro is available in a VL edition too.

Hi there.

Windows 7 is the OBVIOUS upgrade for any businesses still running XP -- Windows 8 doesn't even merit thinking about (Corporate sector) - especially with Windows 8.1 and possibly 8.2 on the horizon -- businesses need STABILITY - not new OS'es every year.

However while I get the drift of what the OP wants to say - I don't really agree --W8.1 FOR CONSUMERS is actually not that bad an OS -- for businesses - another matter unless you start introducing BYOD devices.

I believe several posts have already been made on the fact that enterprises cannot change OS'es like consumers / home computer users can -- complex testing of applications need to be done - and a lot of 3rd party software like SAP doesn't always run on the latest OS. Changes here often take YEARS to test and upgrade -- just read about the latest fiasco in the UK Banking sector where RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) / Ulster Bank / Nat West Bank customers were unable to use their credit / debit cards a day or two ago -- blame was put on their I.T systems not fit for purpose - and they were running SAP financial software too.

Of course a load of problems was due to over hasty Off shoring to India and elsewhere -- if you work for Cap Gemini in Bangalore perhaps you could post a thread here or two on how this stuff actually works --I've seen with my own eyes how some of this stuff works --ever heard of Centrica Energy in the UK / NL/ Norway who have off shored I.T to the same organisation and it seems to be a total "Pudding" -- but updating to W8.1 makes even less sense than the whole off shoring stuff -- at least they avoided that mistake.

So if the OP is just pushing another one of these W7 Vs W8 agendas -- well I think we can ignore them -- I LIKE W7 but for home users W8 (or at least in its re-incarnation as W8.1) is really quite OK. For classical business computing keep with W7 for the moment until Ms decides what it wants to do with the corporate sector.

Cheers
jimbo

Wrend said:

Windows 8... NT? :) (I was definitely rocking 2000 [5] Pro instead of ME.)

I liked XP well enough, but needed to upgrade due to new hardware and software comparability. Fortunately (for me), I don't have to update to 8.

And yeah, I don't see us installing 8 on the workstations where I work either.

Windows 2000 was one of my all time favorites. Rock solid and I could paly all my old games too.

What is Windows 8 worth in the marketplace?

Windows 8.2 Rumors: New Start Menu, Apps on Desktop, More

Ever since Windows 8 debuted in October 2012, PC users have been searching for ways to improve Microsoft's struggling OS. The Redmond, Wash.-based company sent out its first wave of major Windows 8 updates through Windows 8.1, which brought some minor enhancements when it premiered a year after Windows 8. But while the OS looks and feels nothing like its previous iterations, the next major overhaul could bring Windows back to its design roots. Microsoft may still be months away from announcing what could be Windows 8.2 (or Windows 9), but here's a look at what we think we know so far.

Windows 8.2 Rumors: New Start Menu, Apps on Desktop, More

I miss the excitement i felt when upgrading from 98 to XP, and then XP to Vista, and then Vista to more refined Vista (7).
No such thing felt since 2009
Give me pretty GUI along with those under the hood improvements and i'll upgrade to anything.

An average Home PC user