More bad news for Windows 8: while the vast majority of consumers (96%) own a Windows PC, only two in five (39%) of these are likely to upgrade to Windows 8. The findings were part of a study undertaken by Toluna QuickSurveys (www.quicksurveys.com) to assess consumer reactions to the announcement by Microsoft last month to upgrade to Windows 8.

The survey also revealed that when it comes to Windows operating systems, Windows 7 is a clear favorite, with over a quarter of consumers (28%) selecting this version as their preferred choice. This represents double the proportion who chose the newly launched Windows 8 (14%).

Part of the rationale behind the development of the new Windows technology was to improve the user experience on mobile devices such as tablets, but initial consumer reactions illustrate that Microsoft has not captured the interest of this market. The proportion of respondents planning to buy a tablet running Windows 8 is on par with other systems including Apple iOS and Android (13%, 13% and 14% respectively). In a similar vein, the tablet-specific Windows RT received only 2% of the votes and was voted the least favorite Windows operating system all round.

"Given that the new Windows operating system was developed to improve the user experience on mobile devices such as tablets, we might expect Windows 8 to be better received within the tablet market," says Mark Simon, managing director, Global Technology Practice at Toluna. The results show that Microsoft will have to work harder on future product developments if they are to gain favor with PC users and reclaim their position as leader within the wider market."

This news comes amidst claims that the Microsoft Touch cover is prone to splitting after only a few days of use, according to a recent article in "The Guardian."

-- Dennis Sellers