Microsoft obsolete by 2017, a new report says. Technology firm Gartner predicts that the once dominant operating software will be out of date four years from now.
Gartner estimates that in terms of sales, Microsoft will fall far behind Android yet ahead of Apple by a small margin. In comparison, the report says Android currently runs 497.1 million devices, Windows 346.5 million, and Apple 212.9 million.
Microsoft’s popularity could drop even further due to the increasing interest on and usage of tablets and smartphones instead of personal computers, says the report.
“The traditional PC market of notebooks and desk-based units is expected to decline 7.6 percent this 2013,” according to Gartner’s press release. “This is not a temporary trend induced by a more austere economic environment; it is a reflection of a long-term change in user behavior. Beginning in 2013, ultramobiles will help offset this decline, so that sales of traditional PCs and ultramobiles combined show a 3.5 percent decline in 2013.”
In conclusion, Gartner says lower prices, consumers’ addiction to apps, and better features will put tablets on top of the game.
