Chinese computer users will face a tough time in breaking free from their Windows XP dependency. The Microsoft's most successful operating system, Windows XP, is just a year away from its end-of-life deadline in April 2014, when Microsoft will release its final security update.
The problem lies in the fact that a significant number of personal computers around the world are still using this outdated system, and it seems unlikely that these users will be able to break free from their reliance on this 12-year-old XP system and adapt to new operating systems in the coming months.
According to a report by market research company Net Applications, last month, 37.2% of global personal computers were still running on the Windows XP operating system. If Microsoft's estimate of 1.4 billion Windows PCs globally is accurate, then nearly 570 million computers are still using Windows XP. Although the impending deadline has drawn much attention worldwide — a widely followed Windows blog referred to this date as the "Windows XP Judgment Day" — some countries face challenges that others cannot compare with.
For instance, data published by Net Applications shows that in July, 16.4% of U.S. personal computers, or one out of every six, was still using Windows XP.
In contrast, in China, XP still dominates the market, with 72.1% of personal computers last month, or three out of every four, still using this soon-to-be-retired system. On the day XP is retired, China's situation will be four times tougher than that of the United States.
As the remaining eight months tick by, China's predicament is worsening rather than improving. If the recent trend of declining XP usage continues, its share could drop to between 9.1% and 11.1% by April 2014. However, the issue is more complex in China, where despite the decreasing number of Windows XP users similar to the U.S., the currently higher proportion makes solving the problem difficult. By April 2014, the share of XP could still remain between 65.2% and 65.7%. Eight months later, China's XP problem could be six to seven times worse than that of the U.S.
When it comes to the XP issue, it may be exaggerated for the U.S., but it is aptly described in cases like China's.
Many industries and popular blogs have discussed the reasons behind XP's enduring popularity. Some attribute it to the system's lifespan — which has been proven over more than a decade, while others point out that businesses continue to use XP because some internal legacy applications, though available on other systems, would cost a fortune to upgrade. Additionally, a notable feature in China is that users prefer pirated systems, leading to an indifferent attitude towards the transition between old and new systems.