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Microsoft Likely To See a Boost in Windows 10 Sales This New Year (fortune.com)

Because many businesses are wary of new software updates, let alone a new operating system, Microsoft could see a significant surge in Windows 10 install base and sales in the New Year. From a report on Fortune: Businesses have been slow to upgrade all of their corporate computers to the latest Windows OS in 2016, according to research by IT services and technology company Adaptiva. Adaptiva said Tuesday that based on its findings, it believes companies are going to be upgrading to the latest version in 2017. Adaptiva based its findings from a survey it conducted over the summer of 300 IT professionals at various businesses. The company said that 41% of the companies it surveyed have been avoiding the upgrade, and some "have gone so far as to actively resist the move by using software to prevent or disable Windows 10 installation." The survey didn't say why exactly companies were avoiding the upgrade, but the majority of respondents that did upgrade "rated the Windows 10 migration process to be somewhat to extremely challenging," the survey said. According to latest figures provided by Microsoft, Windows 10 is running on over 400 million devices.

21 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Linux by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is doubtful. 2017 will be the year of desktop Linux.

    1. Re:Linux by bfpierce · · Score: 2

      I wish your help desk support staff good fortune in the phone call swarm to come.

    2. Re:Linux by Jerry · · Score: 2

      "Linus share of the desktop has doubled in the last ~year to 2.2%. That's a nice jump."
      Nice backhanded insult masquerading as a compliment, but entirely nonfactual.
      Using a Windows centric website as a source for desktop market share is like asking a Met fan to rate the Dodgers.
      One can pick any website that tracks the OS of visitors. Here's one:
      http://distrowatch.com/awstats...
      According to the data on that webpage WIndows has a 39% market share and Linux has 47.2%

      Or this site, which shows Linux at 5.6%
      http://www.w3schools.com/brows...

      None of these take into account two factors: agent switching and multiple installs. I can set my browser to emulate IE running on Win7 (NT) even though I've been using Linux for 18 years.

      Microsoft uses it sales channel to indicate total sales, which it has manipulated by including units setting in warehouses as well, in order to inflate their sales. They also used that trick when they reported total WinPhone sales, which are still in the toilet. When I download a Linux ISO from a website I can and have installed that single ISO on several computers. Those computers previously ran Windows. The tally of Windows sales does not decrease when I replace Windows with Linux, and no one knows for sure how many Linux ISOs have been downloaded and how many devices those downloaded ISO files have been installed on. So, market share is meaningless.

      The "Year of Linux" was, for me, 1998. May 1st of that year was when I replaced Win95, an OS which I had to reinstall 5 times in the previous 4 months, with RH 5.0, which came with the book "Learn Linux in 24 Hours", by BIll Brush. My new Sony VAIO, which I thought was trash, ran faultlessly without a single crash until I replaced RH in September of that year with SuSE 5.3, because it featured KDE 1.0 Beta. I am now in my 7th year of running Kubuntu.

      If you count Linux running on smartphones then the Linux smartphone marketshare is 87.4% and the WInPhone share is 0.4%
      http://www.idc.com/prodserv/sm...

      Until the SCOTUS destroyed software patents with its "Alice" ruling Microsoft made more money ($5+Billion) extorting smartphone makers who used Android, using bogus DOS patents, than they made selling their own smartphone.

      --

      Running with Linux for over 20 years!

  2. Lots of companies want Win10 by anthony_greer · · Score: 2

    There were large reservations around the frequent upgrade requirements of Current Branch for Business but those are getting worked out as the servicing model matures and the tools to support it, like SCCM, get more robust. That said, a lot of companies do want the new OS because there are a lot of speed improvments, as well as security improvements that include better support for strong (mil spec) encryption out of the box, better protection against malicious "rootkit" like software with tools like Secure Boot and better tech to protect credentials from pass the hash attacks. All this relies on native UEFI support, an area where Win10 is far and away above Win7.

    Make all the jokes you want about ads and such in the consumer builds (i dont like it either btw) but as a windows deployment specialist who is fielding regular head hunter calls when they find me on Linkedin, I can tell you Win10 enterprise is very desirable for many companies.

    1. Re:Lots of companies want Win10 by sinij · · Score: 2

      Yes they would, if they mistakenly believe they are the only ones with the keys to the telemetry backdoor.

    2. Re:Lots of companies want Win10 by ilsaloving · · Score: 2

      Considering that they used Windows NT as the primary operating system for submarines armed with nuclear missiles, I would say that their ability at evaluating the technical qualifications of software leaves something to be desired.

  3. Win10 is good OS that has bolted-on malware by sinij · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Win 10 is good OS that would be quickly adopted if/when MS decided to remove or make optional bolted-on telemetry malware. Such "feature" is simply not acceptable on a non-free product.

    1. Re:Win10 is good OS that has bolted-on malware by chispito · · Score: 2

      Win 10 is good OS that would be quickly adopted if/when MS decided to remove or make optional bolted-on telemetry malware. Such "feature" is simply not acceptable on a non-free product.

      The percentage of the market that is aware of the telemetry and also bothered by it is negligible. The enterprise, which can disable it anyway, have resisted the upgrade because Windows 7 is adequate and the new features of 10, including administrative ones, aren't compelling enough to disrupt business to carry out the upgrade.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
  4. Ummm.. by LVSlushdat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless you can get Windows 10 Enterprise, your business is Microsoft's business.. Even if you "castrate" Home and Pro, they still blab your business to Microsoft. And even if you *could* completely disable the spyware aspects of 10, how do you know that MS won't come along and turn it all back on via one of its updates? If you trust MS at all, you have your head in the sand.. The only way to win with Windows 10 is to NOT PLAY.... Let the MS apologists mod me down... It HAD to be said..

    --
    THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
    1. Re:Ummm.. by ilsaloving · · Score: 5, Informative

      Wow, posting AC, being a flaming asshole, AND lying through your teeth. Hat trick!

      Unless you are using Windows 10 Enterprise, *you cannot disable telemetry*. Period. Not through the GUI. They even disabled the functionality in group policy.

      Oh, and if you ARE using Enterprise, and disable telemetry, then Windows update won't work properly either. So Microsoft has set things up so that you are flat out fucked no matter what you do.

  5. Duh.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    If they stop selling any versions of Windows7, "sales" of Windows10 can only go in one direction. But how many of those "sales" where actually sold retail licenses ("Hi, i actually, really, like to buy a Windows10 License for 300 Bucks!"), and how many where Free-as-in-Herpes upgrades or preinstalled on a new PC?

  6. Re:The year after. by NotInHere · · Score: 2

    Or once the lawyers find out about all the data that the OS sends to redmond, and what that means to company internal secrets...

  7. More Microsoft propaganda? by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's the matter with Slashdot? Why has it become a Microsoft's propaganda vehicle?

    1. Re:More Microsoft propaganda? by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 2

      It is lame that you think any post that does not lambaste Microsoft, is "propaganda".

      It would indeed. Now, remind me, where did I write such a thing? You are just inferring it, on the basis of your prejudices, and you are wrong.

      Indeed it is tempting to think that you prefer a steady diet of propaganda in favour of whatever computing environment you use.

      It would be. However, were you to use your brain, you would understand that that does not follow from what I wrote.

      Reflexive haters of Microsoft are boring and predictable.

      They may be. But not more so than people of all walks of life who allow their prejudices block their high brain functions. This aside, having some some at the expense of any big, obnoxious corporation is good sport.

  8. Windows 10 Is In Permanent Develmoment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    With past versions of Windows a business could wait until it was stable and then upgrade, but with Windows 10 it is in constant development and is never stable. Once to twice per year Microsoft is doing an Windows 10 "update", which is actually a whole new operating system download and completely new installation. It's supposed to transfer everything across, but it actually fails miserably and destroys your computer. To make matters worse the updates can remove features or settings that you use.

    The constant state of flux that Windows 10 is in would create chaos in your companies IT infrastructure. Windows 10 is all about what Microsoft want with no thought at all given to the customer/user.

  9. That's very likely by Kamamura · · Score: 2

    ... provided Microsoft decides that all those who enjoy the "free upgrade" option will have to start paying regularly.

  10. Re:Unsubstantiated conclusion by ITRambo · · Score: 2

    That makes no sense. Barebones Windows 10 installs with ads right out of the box, activated or not.

  11. Re:The challenges are real, but not exceptionally by yoshi_mon · · Score: 2

    Ok, sounds like you addressed the usability, logistical, and other tech issues about Win10 at your place of business.

    However you did leave out the elephant in the room aka "Telemetry" and its related security issues. That kinda is a big thing and I guess you and those in charge just view it as a non-issue?

    --

    Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
  12. Re:The challenges are real, but not exceptionally by ilsaloving · · Score: 2

    Is it possible to at least configure things so that Microsoft doesn't vomit unwanted applications onto your system right on first install? I was livid when I installed a fresh clean copy and suddenly I had Candy Crush and a bunch of other useless apps that I didn't want, need, or ask for, just magically appear on my machine.

  13. Re:The challenges are real, but not exceptionally by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2

    In the serious editions of Win10 used by larger organisations, telemetry mostly is a non-issue. They don't have the same compulsory phone-home behaviour as the Pro/Home editions used by small businesses and home users do.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  14. Plant? by Jerry · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The unsigned article in Fortune reads like a Microsoft PR plant.
    At least they took the MS PR Logo off before they republished it.

    --

    Running with Linux for over 20 years!