I have been working with Windows since I started studying computer sciences in 1998. I didn't have enough money to buy my own home computer until a couple of years later actually. I have seen how Microsoft has tried and failed several times to create a cohesive and compelling ecosystem.
Apple has been far more successful projecting its platform as a successful consumer story, and Amazon and Google have done quite a good job on the same topic. People (meaning family, friends and colleagues) that I know often see Apple as the cool guy around, and project some level of Microsoft opposition. They often mention usability and look & feel advantages over Microsoft products and software. However, few people know the real numbers, which for companies and agencies are extremely important for planning future strategies.
If you are wondering what is going to happen to all the emerging .NET technologies and Windows releases coming in the near future, and wondering if you should learn C# and .NET and get on-board, take a look at the following numbers.
- Over 500,000 Windows 7 licenses sold
- 1.25 billion Windows users around the globe
- Around 90% market share
- 400 million new Windows machines to be shipped next year
- 66 million Xbox users
- 40 million Xbox Live active subscribers
No matter what, the Windows platform is without doubts the biggest out there. Numbers don't lie, and although there are slight discrepancies among different sources, Windows OS market share is by far the largest. Even with Windows Phone market share being quite small compared to Apple, Google and RIM, if you add up Xbox, Windows users (both corporate and home/casual users), other commercial mobile devices, now windows phone, surface users and the upcoming explosion of Windows based ultra-books, slates and tablets, it is quite clear that Windows will be the biggest functional integrated platform in the market. If you consider the Windows Phone marketplace and the upcoming Windows Store, you can't go wrong getting on-board.
In my opinion, this is a call to action to all developers, agencies and companies out there !
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