Microsoft officially ends support for its popular Windows XP operating system, but that may become a problem as the majority of users and businesses don't appear ready to upgrade to Windows 7.
A recent survey of 1,000 IT professionals working in the industry showed a lack of interest for Windows 7, as 83 percent of enterprises reportedly indicate they won't upgrade in the first 12 months after Windows 7 is released.
"Early beta testers are providing many glowing reports about the functionality and performance of Windows 7, especially compared to Windows Vista," according to a new Dimensional Research survey that will be published later this week. "But is corporate IT excited about the new operating system, or do they dread yet another release?"
A combination of software compatibility and economic factors will cause Microsoft's latest OS to struggle among businesses over the first year. About 24 percent of IT experts said they'd wait between 24 and 36 months before upgrading to Windows 7, while 17 percent will wait more than three years before the upgrade.
The Redmond-based company's Windows Vista showed slight improvements over complaints of XP, but overall the OS was extremely disappointing. Understanding the lack of demand for Vista, Microsoft already shifted gears and began focusing on Windows 7.
Even though free and open source software (FOSS) hasn't been able to overtake Microsoft yet, it has chipped away at the company's dominance on multiple fronts. The cost effectiveness of the Linux operating systems could pose problems for Microsoft, especially if companies aren't willing to adopt Windows 7 quickly.
