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Q3 What Do Business Professionals Need to Know About Software? 127
Nonmobile Client Operating Systems

Nonmobile client operating systems are used on personal computers. The most popular is Microsoft
Windows. Some version of Windows resides on more than 85 percent of the world’s desktops, and,
if we consider just business users, the figure is more than 95 percent. The most recent version of
Windows is Windows 8.1. Net Applications estimates that overall market share of Windows as of 2014
is Windows 8.1 at 5.9 percent, Windows 8 at 6.4 percent, Windows 7 at 49.3 percent, Windows Vista
18
at 2.9 percent, and Windows XP at 26.3 percent. It’s interesting to note that Microsoft dropped sup-
port for Windows XP in 2014 despite the fact that it has four times the market share of its latest OS.
Windows 8 was a major rewrite of prior versions. Windows 8 is distinguished by what
19
Microsoft calls modern-style applications. These applications are touch-screen oriented and
provide context-sensitive, pop-up menus. They can also be used with a mouse and keyboard.
Microsoft claims that modern-style applications work just as well on portable, mobile devices,
such as tablet computers, as they do on desktop computers. One key feature of modern-style ap-
plications is the minimization of menu bars, status lines, and other visual overhead. Figure 4-11
shows an example of a modern-style version of searching for images in Windows Explorer.
Apple Computer, Inc., developed its own operating system for the Macintosh, Mac OS. The
current version is Mac OS X Mavericks. Apple touts it as the world’s most advanced desktop op-
erating system, and until Windows 8, it was without doubt. Windows 8 now gives it a run for the
money in terms of that title.
Until recently, Mac OS was used primarily by graphic artists and workers in the arts com-
munity. But for many reasons, Mac OS has made headway into the traditional Windows market.
According to Net Applications, as of 2014, desktop operating system market share was divided
between versions of Windows (90.8 percent), OS X (7.6 percent), and Linux (1.6 percent). 20
Mac OS was designed originally to run the line of CPU processors from Motorola, but today
a Macintosh with an Intel processor is able to run both Windows and the Mac OS.
Unix is an operating system that was developed at Bell Labs in the 1970s. It has been the
workhorse of the scientific and engineering communities since then. Unix is seldom used in
business.

Figure 4-11
Example of the Modern-Style
Interface
Source: Microsoft Corporation

18 “Net Applications,” accessed May 15, 2014, www.netapplications.com.
19 Previously called metro-style. Name change by Microsoft, reputedly because of a trademark lawsuit from
Europe.
20 “Net Applications,” accessed May 15, 2014, www.netapplications.com.