Windows surpassed by Android?

[Leonel Funes]

If you haven't visited Android Central in a while, they published an article that Android is the most-used OS in the world, taking into account desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile.

Android surpasses Windows as the world's most popular OS

What do you guys think? Should we be concerned about this? Should we separate each form factor for a clearer picture? Is this nothing of interest?

 

[anon(8532178)]

This was bound to happen eventually but alas I still use Windows at home but when Mobile Android all the way.

 

[Nokia5110]

Me thinks that happened some time back! Many people, especially from emerging markets have a mobile phone not a computer.

 

[anon(50597)]

Google has certainly wiggled their way into many peoples lives.

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[SeeVuPlay]

I hate Google

 

[Laura Knotek]

I don't think separation of form factors is necessary at this point. It's evident that Windows leads on desktop/laptop but Android leads on mobile. There might not even be a need to separate form factors unless Android and ChromeOS converge.

 

[sd4f]

What do you guys think? Should we be concerned about this? Should we separate each form factor for a clearer picture? Is this nothing of interest?

I don't think it's something for concern. Androids install base is huge, yet they are not capitalising on it through their app store. Admittedly, Google's main product is collecting data to make money from, so just having a huge install base makes them money, but still, a proportion of those devices are going to be things like smart TV's, IoT devices, and entry level things which will never make money for anyone.

Bottom line is, and I saw articles over the years how android just doesn't really make money for anyone. Even advertising on android is a black hole, since the advertising costs more than the benefit gained from advertising. This is something which MS needs to be able to address. They can't possibly expect developers to flock to making windows apps if they don't make money. This is something iOS does well. A lot of users buy apps, and developers support the platform well. There's 9 times as many android devices out there, yet in terms of app store revenue, google's is well below apple's, and when you combine all the other android app stores, they've only surpassed apple this year.

So tl;dr, it's quality that MS should aim for. Install base is not most important when looking at it on its own, other aspects play a role as well.

 

[midnightfrolic]

Smartphones do a lot of light usage duties (shopping, research, web browsing, light gaming, vids, music, news, video conferencing, AR, etc), and peeps always have it with them. So this is a no brainer. Heavy lifting is still done on desktops (Gaming, content creation, office work). And how often do peeps do heavy computing? Not very often.

 

[libra89]

Smartphones do a lot of light usage duties (shopping, research, web browsing, light gaming, vids, music, news, video conferencing, AR, etc), and peeps always have it with them. So this is a no brainer. Heavy lifting is still done on desktops (Gaming, content creation, office work). And how often do peeps do heavy computing? Not very often.

Excellent point! I know people who had their computer die and they had no problem using their phone for everything. Not just temporarily either.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

I don't think it's something for concern. Androids install base is huge, yet they are not capitalising on it through their app store. Admittedly, Google's main product is collecting data to make money from, so just having a huge install base makes them money, but still, a proportion of those devices are going to be things like smart TV's, IoT devices, and entry level things which will never make money for anyone.

Bottom line is, and I saw articles over the years how android just doesn't really make money for anyone. Even advertising on android is a black hole, since the advertising costs more than the benefit gained from advertising. This is something which MS needs to be able to address. They can't possibly expect developers to flock to making windows apps if they don't make money. This is something iOS does well. A lot of users buy apps, and developers support the platform well. There's 9 times as many android devices out there, yet in terms of app store revenue, google's is well below apple's, and when you combine all the other android app stores, they've only surpassed apple this year.

So tl;dr, it's quality that MS should aim for. Install base is not most important when looking at it on its own, other aspects play a role as well.

But if Android is this successful without making money...

 

[a5cent]

I can't vouch for truthfulness, but I remember reading about Android overtaking Windows already years ago. As others have mentioned, because in third and second world countries (where the majority of the world's population lives), phones are people's computers.

I also don't think it matters. When continuum or something similar on other platforms goes mainstream, then it might.

Anyway, Android is not this successful despite earning no money for Google, but because of it!

 

[tgp]

I can't vouch for truthfulness, but I remember reading about Android overtaking Windows already years ago.

I thought about posting this exact thing earlier, but didn't because I wasn't sure. I was surprised to read this news now because I thought Android had passed Windows a long time ago too. Maybe it depends on what metrics are used to measure.

 

[mtf1380]

I think that if the news is a blow to anyone...it should taken by iOS; that is more in line with an APPLE-to-apple comparison. Both VERY popular on mobile, whereas Windows in not.

 

[Zeem Frostmaw]

Android is dominating the consumer space, that's no secret. But it's got one hell of a hurdle if it plans on replacing Windows. Even Microsoft themselves can't get companies to switch from Windows to newer Windows

 

[Krystianpants]

People keep referring to Apples' doom but they keep getting richer and richer. They are the most valuable company and have made more in the last 2 years than in a long time. Their app store is booming despite the lower market share. You go after the rich and you make money. Who cares about 80% market share when such a small minority are actually making app purchases. Typically likely the flagship users with Samsung units.

 

[mjperry51]

People keep referring to Apples' doom but they keep getting richer and richer. They are the most valuable company and have made more in the last 2 years than in a long time. Their app store is booming despite the lower market share. You go after the rich and you make money. Who cares about 80% market share when such a small minority are actually making app purchases. Typically likely the flagship users with Samsung units.

That strategy works only if your are #1 or #2 , or can really dominate at market segment.

Apple has done that. The control the entire ecosystem. That said, MSFT hasn't done too poorly for being in only a few of the computer segments, and only controlling (initially) the OS category of that segment. . .

 

[digitaldd]

Maybe they can actually get security updates to more of the Android devices out in the wild at some point. the way it is now I'd say more than 50% of the Android devices in the world are either no longer supported by Google (older Andorid versions) or no longer/never were supported by their hardware manufacturers.

 

[dgr_874]

True for me. Other than gaming on my gaming PC, I use mobile solutions for everything else.

 

[Krystianpants]

That strategy works only if your are #1 or #2 , or can really dominate at market segment.

Apple has done that. The control the entire ecosystem. That said, MSFT hasn't done too poorly for being in only a few of the computer segments, and only controlling (initially) the OS category of that segment. . .

Sure, nowhere do I see MS should do that. Though that is the route they should take if they have a highly demanded product no one else has. MS shouldn't be in phones, period. They need the next best thing and then build their ecosystem with that. Then once they are established can they release other products like mobile phones.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

But if Android is this successful without making money...

Android is successful because Google lets anyone who fancies it use Android however they want. Any OEM can install Android on their phone and alter it to fit their own needs. That means there's a plethora of cheap Android phones by obscure OEM's that sell in droves because they're cheap and run Android.