But many companies, particularly those with Unix folk already on the payroll, have found that switching from Windows to Linux saves money.
However, Orr does believe that rugged tablet makers will start switching from Windows to Android to remain cost-competitive, some doing that sooner than later.
FORBES: Connecting marketers to the Forbes audience. What is this?
Migrating from Windows to Linux is a much more fiddly process.
Macs were up single digits, reflecting the continuing shift from Windows to Mac, but the weak phone growth betrayed a loss of market power to the Google-Samsung colossus.
FORBES: Within Trend From PCs To Phones Lies Samsung's Besting Of Apple
One is a rack system, PureFlex, designed for firms that want to roll their own applications to run on X86 or Power with operating systems from Windows to ZIX or Unix.
FORBES: Taming IT Bastardization with IBM PureSystems Regardless of App Parentage
The program is particularly focused on apps that run on PCs from Windows to Linux, but the apps could also run on a variety of devices, including mobile devices, TVs and cars, says Peter Biddle of Intel.
Consumers switching away from Windows to Android?
FORBES: The Nightmare That Keeps Microsoft Awake... Android On The Desktop
The migration tool supports migration from Windows XP to Windows Vista and Windows Vista to Windows XP-based computers.
ENGADGET: Clickfree gone wild at CES: 1TB drive, Mac support and online backup
Many customers, especially on the enterprise side of the equation, are understandably a little wary of the drastic change that awaits them when upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8.
ENGADGET: Microsoft details its own Windows 8 rollout, lessons learned from 'dogfooding'
But, Microsoft took its time with the transition from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone, and by the time Windows Phone launched most of the potential customers had already chosen sides and invested in either the iOS or Android ecosystem.
In the case of businesses, Windows PCs are at the very heart of all size organizations and the migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 continues to be an important factor driving that segment of the market forward, both now and into 2012.
We believe Windows Pricing for PC Makers will decline gradually over the forecast period due to a shift from premium Windows to lower-priced versions driven by higher demand in emerging markets and demand for lower priced editions for netbooks.
FORBES: Mister Softee Gets Stronger With Sturdier Windows Pricing
So it turned to a California-based consultancy, Appstem Media, to port INSPI from Windows Mobile to iOS and Android.
FORBES: SAPVoice: BYOD + Field Service App = Major ROI for Mortgage Services Firm
Many were forced to jump from their windows to escape the fire.
Even those in the National Weather Center -- a building on the University of Oklahoma campus with tenants that include the National Severe Storms Laboratory and NOAA's Storm Prediction Center -- "have been urged to stay away from windows due to potential for 80-90 mph winds, " according to a tweet from weather service's Norman office, which also is based in the building.
Just like many consumers fought moving from DOS to Windows, many will fight moving from Desktop to Metro.
Apart from some exceptions, most companies are are too preoccupied with upgrading their PCs from Windows XP to Windows 7 to think about Windows 8.
FORBES: In The Enterprise, Windows 8 Tablets May Zoom Past PCs
To some extent they are right, but if you were around when the market moved from DOS to Windows, you know if took years to make the switch.
It is the biggest shift in the Windows interface since the move from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.
FORBES: D9: From Microsoft Windows Pres Sinofsky, A Look At Windows 8
Apple is openly attacking Windows in advertising campaign, urging Windows users to switch from Windows.
The Mountain Lion analysis is from July 25 to October 14, 2012, and Windows 8 is from October 26 to January 13.
Microsoft was able to use the cash it made from the sale of Windows to finance the development of Explorer.
Nokia's recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward.
ENGADGET: IDC fails to learn from previous mistakes, issues 2015 smartphone predictions
The transition from DOS to Windows did great things for the company.
In past upgrades of Microsoft operating systems, companies have tended toward firm-wide adoption, or delayed adoption, as Aaron Suzuki at SmartDeploy noted in the article below on the reluctant move from XP to Windows 7 at many companies his firm works with.
FORBES: Windows 8 Enterprise Adoption Will Be Segmented By Users - Avanade
While the jury is still out on whether the campaign will lead to increased market share, it was reported recently that Microsoft had been mimicking the ads on its own Web site, supposedly quoting people who had moved from Mac to Windows.
Windows Pricing for PC Makers increased from 2005 to 2007 due to an increasing mix of premium Windows editions that sell for higher prices.
FORBES: Mister Softee Gets Stronger With Sturdier Windows Pricing
Microsoft hopes to make its software more appealing for tablet users while still retaining enough features from previous versions of Windows to run software primarily used on desktop and laptop machines.
Most of that market share comes from Windows 7, Windows Vista, and to an extent, Windows XP, which the company recently announced it would stop supporting in 2014.
In addition to making the final Windows Phone Developer Tools available today, Microsoft Bing Maps and Microsoft Advertising have introduced new resources to help developers maximize their profit from their Windows Phone 7 apps and to heighten the end-user experience.
ENGADGET: Microsoft demoes Twitter and Netflix apps for Windows Phone 7, releases final dev tools
应用推荐