Windows 8 and 8.1 combine for 10% of OS market

The latest numbers were recently published by Net Applications looking at the overall computer operating system market around the world. The report shows that the newest versions of Windows, Windows 8 and 8.1, are making inroads into the operating system market that is dominated by older versions of the OS around the world.

The numbers show that Windows 8 and 8.1 combined to pass 10% of the global OS market. The metrics show that Windows 8 and 8.1 climbed in December 2013 by 10.49% combined. Windows 8 gained a scant 0.23% during December with Windows 8.1 growing 0.96%.

Windows 7 grew by 0.88% during December. Windows 7 is the most common version of Windows in the world with 47.52% of the market. Windows Vista has only 3.61% of the market. Windows XP is the second most popular version of Windows with 28.98% of the market.

This is the first time XP has fallen below 30% of the worldwide OS market. The Mac OS has 7.54% of the global operating system market. Linux has a scant 1.73% of the market. Net Applications gets its data from 160 million visitors to 40,000 client websites each month.





SOURCE: The Next Web

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Lenovo to start bundling Windows 8 Start menu replacement Pokki

Windows 8 users tend to be polarized on one particular issue – the lack of a Start Menu. Some don’t mind its absence, but others have taken issue with the choice and sought alternatives. One such alternative has been SweetLabs’ Pokki replacement menu, something that Lenovo will begin including pre-loaded on its Windows 8 PCs.

The move might satisfy some users who find the absence of a start menu disconcerting, but could be seen as unwanted bloatware by others, particularly due to its hocking of various apps. Pokki displays apps within the menu, encouraging users to download items like – for example – Angry Birds. The offerings show up alongside the bottom of the menu with an “Install” button above them.

According to Bloomberg, Lenovo plans to start including the SweetLabs software on Windows 8 computers in the “next several weeks,” with the first round going out to countries that speak English. Eventually Pokki will also make its way onto other Lenovo computers as well, though when that will happen hasn’t been specified.

In addition to the apps, something that seems to compete with Microsoft’s Windows Store, is also a more common array of items one expects to see in the Start Menu: Control Panel, Computer, the various folders (Documents, Music, etc.), and some preferred applications, whether that be a browser or word processor or something else entirely.

Pokki became available when Windows 8 went live, and has since then been downloaded about 3 million times. According to the company’s co-founder and CEO Chester Ng, Lenovo approached SweetLabs during an Intel Capital conference. The company is also said to be in talks with other manufacturers, and may find its way onto more computers in the future.




SOURCE: Bloomberg

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Samsung Developers Conference aims to join big guns as cross-platform yearly event

In what’s fairly clear to be the spirit of such developer events as Apple’s WWDC and Google I/O, Samsung has this week announced the creation of their own Developers Conference. Starting October 27th and lasting two days, ending on the 29th, this event takes place right in the heart of San Francisco, aiming to bring in both developers and industry leaders to a software-centric series of events living in the Samsung universe.

At the moment, Samsung has only suggested that registration and full details for the event will be going live later this summer. Here in the early summer of 2013, Samsung’s full plans for their own attempt at joining the likes of Microsoft’s BUILD – aka their own yearly developer-centered conference – stay simple.

    “Engage with industry leaders. Collaborate with fellow developers. Learn about new Samsung tools and SDKs. Create what’s next.” – Samsung Dev Con

Over at SamsungDevCon’s initial web presence, the company brings a similarly scant set of details. It is known at this early stage that this event will include more than just mobile products. It’s not just going to be about Samsung smartphones and tablets. This will be, according to Samsung, a “major, Samsung-side, cross-product (multi-screen) developer event.”

Sound like a good time to you? Have a peek at our Google I/O tag portal for one direction this multi-day event series might take, and our WWDC tag portal for another.

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Windows 8.1's 'fix': One new Navigation tab

This week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2013 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) with Windows 8.1 "Blue" front and center. He piled on his usual hyperbolic praise ("nothing short of the most remarkable replatforming of Windows, basically since 1995"), tacitly acknowledged criticism of Windows 8, and announced that the final version (RTM, or release to manufacturing) would go to PC makers in late August so that they could sell PCs with Windows 8.1 preinstalled before the holiday season -- especially for those planning to offer mini tablets, which Windows 8 does not support well.

Windows 8.1's 'fix': One new Navigation tab

The big question, though, is will Windows 8.1 be good news for users who are already struggling with Windows 8.

[ Woody Leonhard reveals the black underbelly of Windows 8.1 Milestone Preview. | Stay atop key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]
The Windows 8.1 taskbar and navigation properties

I've been working with the Windows 8.1 Milestone Preview, and it all seems to come down to one new Navigation tab in the Taskbar and Navigation properties pane. You now have more control over what your OS does with those hot corners (turn them off if you want) and that Start screen. You can make your PC boot right to the "legacy" Desktop, you can go right to the All Apps view when going to the Start screen and make a few other tweaks. Is it exactly what people wanted? No, it's a compromise.

For those of us already using Windows 8, moving to Windows 8.1 is a no-brainer. It's going to be free and available through the Windows Store. As a Surface RT user, now I'm looking forward to the new Outlook RT app as well in Windows RT 8.1.

Ballmer said that Microsoft believes it has changed as a company from a software provider to a devices and services company. His keynote highlighted Windows Phone, Office 365, Windows Azure, and big data concerns of enterprise customers.

I'm at the WPC this week to discuss Exchange and regulatory compliance, and I can feel the positive energy here. A more usable (less abrasive -- cue chuckle) Windows 8.1 combined with improvements in cloud-based offerings like Azure and Office 365 give Microsoft partners hope that, with an improving economy, things are on an upswing all around.

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