How many people are actually using Windows 8?

[mitchellvii]

Microsoft has been trumpeting their 100 million licenses sold number saying this is on pace with Windows 7. However, this is VERY misleading as it doesn't tell us how many users have actually activated Windows 8, a number which is far less encouraging.

There is a lot of mystery here as MS isn't releasing ANY data on actual activations (for obvious reasons) so one has to use some statistics for figure it out.

Here is an article by people good with statistics who endeavor to do just that. It is an interesting read. After seeing this one can understand why Microsoft is coming out with Windows Blue so soon after releasing Windows 8.

Windows 8: forget 100m licences 'sold', here's how many PCs are running it | Technology | guardian.co.uk

** If you doubt the conclusions of this article, answer this one question - WHY is MS not releasing their activation numbers? If they were outstanding wouldn't they release them? If the cops bust down your door and you tell them they can look anywhere besides this one room you have to figure the body is in that room. What's in the "activation" room MS doesn't want us to see?

 

[TrentonT]

I have it installed on three of my desktops, laptop and of course on my RT

 

[jnjroach]

MS never releases Activations, always Licenses Sold. At this point in Windows 7's Life-cycle many Enterprise Customers were using downgrade rights to deploy Windows XP. Enterprise adoption is slow by the nature of their IT Culture. Typically as more consumers adopt (management is key) Windows 8 for their personal machines the demand to have the same on their work machines increase. This is what drove Windows XP adoption in the Enterprise, consumers bought XP Home desktop machines and wanted the same experience at work. Same thing happened for Windows 7. Another driver for Windows 8 adoption in the Enterprise is the adoption of Server 2012 and System Center 2012 SP1 in the datacenter as Windows 8 is the best client to take advantage of its management and security features.

 

[mitchellvii]

Two words, Windows Blue. If they didn't need it they wouldn't do it.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Two words, Windows Blue. If they didn't need it they wouldn't do it.

Oh please...give us a break! You have been going on about this general topic for sometime now. All software companies issue updates, upgrades, and version. Blue is one such issue. Why is that a problem for you. The matter is a simple one. If you have a problem with Win 8, don't use it. If you have a problem with Microsoft as a company don't use their products/ services etc. This constant moaning isn't helping you; nor is it helping anyone else.

 

[Mr.NK]

On my Desktop and my RT - i upgraded my desktop after buying my RT.
Regarding the whole discussion about numbers: Doesn't bother me, it should only do so for MS. Blue will be a nice update, but the damage is done by some issues with win8 itself and by the media. (My analyzing shows a clear 40.1% (Win8) to 59,9%(Media) split.)
I think Win8 is a cool start and we'll see what future brings to the user. I don't want to bash critics, because sometimes they have valid points (or just a different point of view), but it's interesting to see the effort put in to show negative aspects.

 

[mitchellvii]

Oh please...give us a break! You have been going on about this general topic for sometime now. All software companies issue updates, upgrades, and version. Blue is one such issue. Why is that a problem for you. The matter is a simple one. If you have a problem with Win 8, don't use it. If you have a problem with Microsoft as a company don't use their products/ services etc. This constant moaning isn't helping you; nor is it helping anyone else.

Lol, yes, if you don't like Windows 8 just don't use it. Sadly for Microsoft it appears most people are following your advice. Of course that has always been a great way to market software - here it is, if you don't like it don't use it... They even teach that in business school. Make it how you want and if the consumer doesn't like it screw 'em!

And you think Windows Blue is "just another update"? Are you paying attention at all? They are talking about putting back the Start Button and allowing users to default to Desktop. To you that is "just another update"? That is HUGE. Believe me, this does NOT make Microsoft happy. By doing this they are admitting to the world they were wrong.

I personally enjoy using Modern UI in a touch environment. For pure tablet consumption-type computing it works quite well. They simply need to provide a different default option for desktop and mouse users. I hope Windows Blue succeeds. We'll see.

 

[Inadorel]

I have one desktop, one laptop, and a surface pro - all running Windows 8. I don't know if I get to count the RT or our Server 2012. I've been using Win8 since the day the consumer preview came out and I have no problems with it at all - although I will admit that on the desktop machine I rarely use the MUI because I need to have lots of windows open on the same monitor. Frankly I am sick of the tech press bashing Win 8 and MS in general - but if bringing back the start button will shut them up then the sooner the better. I actually think that if MS have backed down on this it at least shows that they listen to their customers - albeit somewhat belatedly. I just wish that a lot of the people who knocked it had given it a fair chance first - there have been reviews over here in UK which have been anti it to the point of complete unprofessionalism (people may not like the interface but it is patently neither unusable or unstable).

 

[donaldvc]

Hi Mitchell, it's an interesting question but I think if you have followed Charles Arthur's posts over the last couple of years you will know that his use and understanding of statistics are very questionable. The figure of 100m represents real licence sales (not including Enterprise licensing), but you are right that this is not necessarily the same as activations. However, the situation was also similar at the time of the release of Windows 7 - not all of its initial 100m licence sales were activated activated at once as Windows 7 -, so, with some caveats, the comparison of relative sales after 6 months is not wholly invalid.

 

[Russ]

yes, if you don't like Windows 8 just don't use it.

Mitchell --

Sounds like good advice to me. Maybe you should follow it. Just think about how much unused energy you would have if you didn't spend so much of it bitching and whining about Microsoft and Windows 8.

Have a nice day,

Russ

 

[KLR]

Personally, the more I use Windows 8 the more I like it. I just do not get the negative talk at all.
I have laptops, desktops, tablets...etc. The one piece I am missing is a windows phone and that is coming next week.

Frankly, I think the press/media and threads like this are missing the mark on both Windows 8 and the general sales of PC's.

I work in IT for a major fortune company and have direct ties to service providers (ATT, CSC, HP, Etc....). Companies are not buying for many reasons. The market is still unstable, hiring is still down and frankly there has been no serious change in software to warrant companies to spend $$$$ on new hardware (to name a few reasons). This holds true for home PC's as well. I have a Falcon computer system that is over 6 years old that can handle the applications released today. Over the last 6 years all I needed to do was to swap out a video card and even that was not really needed.

So I ask you, why upgrade the hardware or the OS if what you purchased years ago still works fine in a market that is unstable still? Its not the OS or PC. Nothing has changed except tablets and cloud based services that warrant any direct attention from IT.

Companies are still running XP and even MS Office 2003 is still running strong.

Follow? We cant blame MS and Windows 8 for a stale market within hardware and software in general.

That being said, I think MS has done a great job at addressing where change was needed and that is in the form of tablets, phones and the Skydrive. They have also laid the foundation to force companies to change and produce new products. Think METRO. This will stimulate things if given the chance.

Also, Surface RT is MS answer to the iPad (yes, it goes beyond that ). People cant seem to accept this fact but instead want to make it into something that it was never meant be. It's not the PRO so people need to stop trying to review it like it was meant to be one. It is not meant to run legacy applications yet this is its biggest complaint. Apple never had the same scrutiny when the iPad first came out so what gives?

Anyways, I am happy with Microsoft's direction.

 

[machistmo]

I have it installed on three of my desktops, laptop and of course on my RT

I honestly think those that kept their original Surface RT's will be rewarded when they become collectors items.