Backbytes: The long, slow death of Windows XP

Windows XP is slowly dying out, according to the web-stat counters - but it's Windows 7 people want, not Windows 8

The message that out-of-support operation system Windows XP represents a wide open target and ought to be replaced is slowly filtering through.

Over the past year or so, it's declined from about one-third of all the PCs connected to the internet to "just" one-quarter. That's according to the net-stat counting company Netmarketshare.

However, it's still a huge installed base of muppetry for malware writers and other ne'er do wells to exploit.

But it isn't because the IT director at the Ministry for Paperclips has finally got round to upgrading the department's PCs, or because Jeremy Torrentfiend in High Wycombe has decided to trade in his old PC running a not-entirely-legitimate version of Windows XP, for a shiny new Windows 8 laptop, though, because the figures for Windows 8 are shocking.

They have edged up from just 9.25 per cent in October last year to just 12.5 per cent in July. Indeed, not only is Windows 7 more popular than Windows 8 (increasing from 46.4 per cent to 51.2 per cent), it is growing faster, as people avoid Windows 8 like the proverbial plague.

Maybe new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella should shelve his talk about OneWindows and just release a version of Windows that isn't almost universally hated?