Looking at the monthly operating system usage figures this morning, one thing became blatantly clear. Those that have made the commitment and moved to Windows 8 may be on to a very sticky wicket. Though the tablet based operating system was always going to have a hard job to take over the ever dominant Windows 7, we don’t think anyone expected Windows 8 to fall so far so fast.
Even today Windows 7 can boast close to a 60% market share of all operating systems, showing a clear dominance across the industry as a whole. Yet in comparison, Windows 8 has a startlingly poor 3.5% market share, with Windows 8.1 contributing less than 15% more in its own right. And while market share of operating systems may not be something that concerns the average user on a day to day basis. It actually could be paving the path to ruin for many.
How Market Share Can Impact Your Online Security
Like any poor performing product, if market share is not up to scratch then the support and investment the owners are willing to put in is going to fall. And in the case of an operating system, that support and investment comes in the form of technical maintenance for the users, including security updates, hot fixes and new features.
Consider this, with Windows 10 just around the corner, and market share for Windows 8 lower than anyone ever expected, if you were the powers that be, would you be putting your effort into saving it?
When it comes to the average online user, using a fully supported operating system is the only way to ensure maximum security when you are using the internet. New viruses and Trojans are being introduced to the World Wide Web on a daily basis. And, as we say on EasyHide all the time, without proper protection, your activities and private information could be compromised.
We work assiduously on our VPN services to ensure it is possible to protect your information and hide IP addresses whatever you are doing on the web. And if your operating system is not going to be supported by the people who provide it, products like ours may be the only way to take up the slack.
What Can Be Done
Sadly, in the case of Windows 8, it is just a matter of watch this space.
Obviously, Microsoft will not be shouting it from the rooftops if they do decide to withdraw support for this flagging operating system. But those of us that are using it are going to have to look out.
For maximum protection it is always worth upgrading to the latest version of your operating system. So users on Windows 8 may make the leap to 8.1. But if, and when, support starts to be withdrawn, those that want to enjoy full online protection will have to consider making an investment of their own, probably into Windows 10.
This isn’t something that is going to happen overnight. After all it has taken years to wind down the support for previous versions of Windows. But if you are using Windows 8 right now, just make sure you are doing everything you need to keep secure.