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Android Will Surpass Windows By 2016, Say Gartner Stats

An anonymous reader writes "Google's Android operating system will be used on more computing devices than Microsoft's Windows within four years, data from research firm Gartner showed on Wednesday, underlining the massive shift in the technology sector. At the end of 2016, there will be 2.3 billion computers, tablets and smartphones using Android software, compared with 2.28 billion Windows devices, Gartner data showed." The comparison would make less sense if Android was strictly for phones, and Windows was strictly for desktops-with-keyboards, but gets interesting as the devices on which each system runs overlap ever more.

2 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Re:x86 port by AuMatar · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Simple- it wouldn't. Android on a desktop box would work just like Android on a phone. It wouldn't keep separate users. Why would it? It's not a multi-user system. You seem to want a new feature to Android for a desktop box. Since desktop isn't their goal, I doubt they'd add it.

    For the record- I don't see why you'd want Android on a desktop, it would be a bad experience. But nothing is stopping you right now, x86 support is out.

    --
    I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
  2. Re:First by roc97007 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    > That's an awfully big "provided" clause you've got there.

    Yes, it is.

    I've argued until I got sick of it over in the Adobe forums that a "lite" version of their apps for tablets is worse than useless. They seem to expect me to carry a laptop *and* a tablet. Not going to happen. I don't currently own a tablet, and won't until I can work in the field *without* my laptop. Until I can do that, tablets are dead to me. I don't buy into the alpha-geek thang where you lug along one of every kind of portable device just to have them.

    On the other hand, tablets really do have a lot of potential. But without serious apps, they're just portable web browsers. Toys.

    And don't even *talk* to me about using Photoshop on a Winders tablet. Tried it -- I own a tablet running "Windows 7 tablet edition", and the experience sucketh mightily. And it will suck just as much on Windows 8, because it's the app itself that needs to change.

    And yes, I can add a keyboard and mouse to the tablet, but then it's just a rather underpowered netbook with a bunch of separate pieces.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.