14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s future still depends on the success of the PC, and it’s no secret that in order to boost adoption of its new operating systems, Redmond also has to convince users to purchase new PCs.
The software giant knows this very well and has recently made some changes to its strategy in order to lend a hand to partners and try to push more users towards its modern operating system.
The company started offering Windows 8.1 with Bing free of charge to OEMs in order to bring more affordable devices to the market, and now with the end of Windows XP, everyone is encouraged to upgrade hardware and purchase a new system running modern Windows.
According to a report published by Digitimes, global PC shipments are expected to reach 299 million units this year, a slight decrease of only 0.1 percent as compared to the previous year.
Windows XP’s death comes to the rescue
As weird as it might sound, Windows XP’s demise actually helped the PC industry, as it forced more customers to buy a new computer and thus step to an operating system that’s more secure.
Windows XP reached end of support in April 2014, and since then Microsoft is not rolling out new updates and security patches, which basically means that customers who are still running it could be easily hacked if someone finds an unpatched vulnerability in the operating system.
At this point, Windows XP is still powering some 23 percent of the desktop computers worldwide, but these numbers are expected to drop significantly in the coming months, as more users complete the transition to a newer platform.
Microsoft is doing the right thing
Analysts believe that Microsoft is indeed doing the right thing by reducing royalties for new Windows and encouraging manufacturers to bring more affordable devices to the market.
At this point, Windows 8.1 with Bing is available for all OEMs building devices that can be purchased for $250 (€180) and below.
"Commercial models have become the major engine of growth for the PC market in the wake of Microsoft's decision to end its support for Windows XP and reduce royalties for new software," said Charles Chou, senior industry analyst with MIC.
"Among other things, major brands' support to launch Microsoft-powered notebooks priced at US$249 has also help stimulated the demand for low-cost notebooks. The global PC market has performed better than expected in 2014 by far."
Windows 9 is also going to play a key role for the sales performance of the PC industry, so expect more users to purchase new hardware in order to run the new operating system flawlessly.