Microsoft's Operating System Strategy Isn't Going According to Plan

Microsoft isn't having a great Tuesday.

Earlier this morning, the company accidentally posted a mockup of its Windows 9 logo on the Chinese social media site Weibo, which was quickly captured by Chinese tech site CN Beta

Before it was taken down, the post asked followers to weigh in on where a start menu should go. While it's widely known Windows 9 is in the works, the company has plans in place to properly unveil the new operating system, with rumors pointing to an unveiling on Sept. 30th

But that's a minor headache compared to the long-running migraine the tech giant has faced over the retired Windows XP. According to new data released Tuesday by StatCounter, 24 percent of all PCs connected to the Internet still use the antiquated operating system.

That may be less than a quarter of all users, but still makes XP the second most widely used OS and one that the company says simply "refuses to die." Here's the most recent breakdown:

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While the stubborn users have been slow to phase the vulnerable zombie XP off their desktops (a survey this week found companies have been taking an average of five to seven months to do so), progress has been made. Here's the StatCounter report on OS changes worldwide over the past year, showing Windows 8.1 nudging past Windows 8 as Windows XP slowly declines:

StatCounter

Even with these stats, it's unlikely those remaining XP devotees will abandon their favorite outdated software anytime soon: An unofficial service pack (read: life support) was released just last week for the OS. That's dedication.

This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/technology/2014/09/microsofts-operating-system-strategy-isnt-going-according-to-plan/379473/

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