Windows 8 is a complete departure from the norm for Microsoft. The company set out to reinvent the desktop landscape, ditching a bunch of much-loved features of Windows (including the Start button), and adding a ton of new features, including a hefty amount of support for touch screens. Windows 8 is new, and Windows users are taking a while to warm up to the operating system -- not to mention those businesses that just upgraded to Windows 7 not too long ago.
The good news is that Windows 8 market share is progressing. According to NetMarketShare's latest figures (for June 2013), Windows 8 has surpassed Windows Vista for the first time. Windows 8 market share currently sits at 5.1 percent, while Windows Vista accounts for 4.62 percent of the market. This is compared to 4.51 percent for Windows Vista and 4.27 percent for Windows 8 in May.
As far as the rest of the market is concerned, Windows 7 is the biggest market share holder with 44.37 percent. After that comes Windows XP with 37.17 percent. Next is Windows 8 and then Windows Vista. Apple's OS X 10.8 comes in fifth with 3.14 percent, OS X 10.6 has 1.76 percent, while OS X 10.7 has 1.73 percent. The remaining 2.11 percent of the market is comprised of 'other.'