| |
XP Still A Favorite Among Gamers
By Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
Article Date: 2009-01-16
Gamers tend to have good gear: cool keyboards, nifty mice, nice monitors. And fast, new computers. But a fresh report seems to confirm Windows XP's lasting popularity as, even among PC-owning gamers, XP is used a lot more than Vista.
The contest wasn't even close in December. Steam's Hardware Survey report puts XP's market share at 67.18 percent, while Windows Vista 32 bit was on just 23.92 of the machines it tracked. Toss in another 7.53 percent for Windows Vista 64 bit, if you like - the Vista total's still under 32 percent, resulting in a better than 2:1 ratio.
So how did this come about? Well, Stephanie Flint writes, "The advanced security system within Vista has not created a user-friendly environment for outside software companies. . . . In response to Microsoft's lowered attention to the PC gaming industry, most software vendors are ignoring the Vista operating system entirely, and continue to gear their games toward Windows XP. In fact, according to a recent survey, CNET reports that only 8% of non-Microsoft vendors are even willing to bother to include Window's Vista compatibility in their software."
And most gamers have chosen to stand by their games - and XP - rather than deal with the newer operating system.
No matter how great Windows 7 is, this trend is likely to keep working in XP's favor for some time, then. After all, Windows 7 might match Vista in terms of reaching back to older software, but probably won't outdo it.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.
|
|
