Windows 8.1 grabs 3.95% of OS market to pass Vista as Windows 7 still leads

The latest report on the market share for particular operating systems is in from Net Applications. The new report shows that the Windows operating system is still by far the most popular on the computing market. Windows with all its versions holds 90.72% of the OS market.

Mac OS holds 7.68% of the market with Linux having 1.60%. There are several flavors inside the Windows chunk of the pie. The most popular flavor of Windows is Windows 7 with 47.49% of the market share. The second most popular is Windows XP holding 29.23% of the overall windows market.

The share of the Windows pie that Windows 8.1 holds has grown quickly since the latest version of the OS launched in October. Windows 8.1 has 3.95% of the OS market. That puts Windows 8.1 ahead of the market share that Windows Vista holds with 3.30% of the market.

Windows 8 holds 6.63% of the Windows share. The market share of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 combined only changed slightly in the latest report gaining 0.09%. Despite Microsoft actively trying to get people off Windows XP, it actually gained a bit of ground in the latest report gaining 0.25% with a climb from 28.98% at the end of 2013 to 29.23% in the latest report.

SOURCE: TheNextWeb

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Lenovo’s ThinkPad 8, hands-on with the ‘full PC’ in tablet form

Lenovo ThinkPad 8 is an 8.3-inch Windows tablet, which is touted as a “full PC in the Palm of your hands”. That’s a bold statement, and we’ve seen Windows tablets before that couldn’t hold up under the pressure. As Microsoft tries to find a true cross-reference OS, Lenovo tries to bring some true power to back it up. In Las Vegas at CES 2014, we got the chance for a quick hands-on with the new Windows tablet.

To start, the ThinkPad 8 is comfortable in-hand. The form factor is one we were suspect of, as Windows lends itself to a larger screen. Though screen size isn’t everything, it’s important when considering a Windows tablet, and we were just plain suspicious of the ThinkPad’s size. Comfortable to hold is one thing, a pleasure to use is the real benchmark, though.

Backed by an Intel quad-core Bay Trail processor, the ThinkPad 8 has a 2MP camera up front, and an 8MP shooter around back. Running Windows 8.1, and weighing just under a pound, the 8.8mm ThinkPad packs a lot into a small package. The screen is 1920 x 1200, making it more than capable of handling Window’s “metro” UI. In using the ThinkPad, we found ourselves happily surprised by what’s on offer, but a full PC?

Yes. The ThinkPad is, in regard to hardware, a full PC in a tiny package. While not the most robust Windows PC you can find (it’s still a tablet, after all), it gets the job done. The aluminum casing instilled a sense of confidence, and the responsiveness of the ThinkPad 8's screen and processor made it a pleasure to use in tablet form. Synced to a screen (we used Lenovo’s phenomenal 4K2K monitor), it actually becomes a very simple Windows PC. Again, not the top-end PC you might need, but for the professional on-the-go, it’s a true winner.

For consumers, this one offers even more utility. A PC wherever you go, whenever you want, without much compromise. Lenovo promises up to 8 hours battery life, which we sadly couldn’t task, but we’re not doubting that — yet. In our testing, we’d easily call this the best small Windows tablet on the market right now. We also really liked the Smart Cover Lenovo has for the ThinkPad 8, which is much like Apple’s offering. A neat flip-down corner wakes the rear camera, and brings quick shooting for those moments you just need to capture quickly.

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Lenovo ThinkPad 8 is a three-mode tablet with Quickshot cover

Tablets are a dime a dozen, something that makes room for tablets that take their time, in a manner of speaking. Such is the case with Lenovo's ThinkPad 8, and 8-inch tablet that is promised as offering a "full PC experience" while on the go. The small form-factor allows for easy portability, but the company says that the device's design is premium quality, including machine-cut aluminum and a unique Quickshot Cover.

The ThinkPad 8 can be used in Desktop Mode with a keyboard and external display, or in Tablet Mode, which is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is that professional users, which is Lenovo's target base with this product, can find uses for the device is any situation, whether they need something on the go or want to use it while parked in an office. A dock can be used for the latter, making it easier to use it as a regular desktop computer.

As mentioned, the ThinkPad 8 can be had with a Quickshot Cover, which is an interesting cover that allows the tablet to be convered into a third mode -- Tent Mode. With the Quickshot Cover, the user can take a picture by "peeling" back the cover to bring the 8-megapixel camera into view. This motion triggers the camera's app, making it easy to take a picture without completely opening the cover and manually launching the related software.

As far as specifications go, the ThinkPad 8 tablet comes with an 8.3-inch 1920 x 1200 pixels display. There's both microHDMI and Miracast for playing content elsewhere. Under the hood, this small Lenovo tablet has an Intel Bay Trail quad-core processor and up to 128GB of internal storage space. There's a microUSB 3.0 port, LTE, and Windows 8 Pro. The tablet will be available later this month for $449 USD.

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