Microsoft encounters post-PC era dilemma: Market share hit 20-year low

Lead: According to foreign media today, although still in the PC market dominate, but with the advent of the post-PC era, Microsoft Windows is gradually threatened by the tablet, the market share even fell to 82% of the 20-year low.　　The following is a summary of the article: Tough challenges Microsoft Windows is facing the toughest challenge to date: mobile phones and tablets are replacing PCs, processing more and more computing tasks. It has been 25 years since Windows was born, but the importance of Microsoft's future development has not diminished. The system generated 19 billion of billions of dollars in revenue and 12.3 billion of billions of dollars of profit for Microsoft in the last fiscal year – accounting for almost half of Microsoft's operating profit.　　But Windows ' revenues have slipped over the past two quarters. Meanwhile, mobile phones and Apple iphones, which use Google's Android operating system, have grown rapidly this year, and have been favored by a large number of independent software developers. The demand for Apple's ipad tablet has eaten away at laptop sales, most of which use Windows.　　According to data from one research institute, the PC market share of windows in the last quarter slipped to a 20-month low. Microsoft blamed the weak performance of windows on the shift of PC demand to developing markets such as China.　　Because of the prevalence of piracy, the company's unit PC revenues in these areas are lower. After a late start, Microsoft's position will also face a greater threat as Android tablets emerge and touch-controlled computers move from consumer to corporate markets. The company hopes to boost sales growth with a new generation of Windows 8 operating systems.　　Although Microsoft says the system has been redesigned for the touch interface, it will not be available until the fall of 2012. Microsoft is planning to provide early versions of Windows 8 to developers next month, thereby attracting developers to develop applications for the platform and consolidate relationships with existing partners.　　But the rise of smartphones and tablets has diluted Microsoft's dominance as a programming platform, making it unnecessary for developers to focus on PCs.　　"Computing demand is shifting to devices such as ipads and smartphones, and Windows has started late," said Roger McNamee, analyst Roger Mack elevation, a Silicon Valley private equity firm. McNamee said: "Windows has missed the time to reinvent the glory." The market environment has changed.　　"But he still believes that Microsoft's Exchange information business and its takeover of Skype will have a bright future." Other changes in mobile devices have also brought changes to software channels and pricing patterns. The App Store model pioneered by Apple can help users get applications quickly, many of which are priced at less than 5 dollars, and some are even available for free. Before that, PC software was sold through CDs, selling atUsually more than 40 dollars, some even more than 100 dollars. Free Notepad app developer Evernote benefits from the App Store. The company says new users are getting more than twice times more than Windows 7 a day via the ipad.　　And while Macintosh users are well below the Windows PC, because Macintosh also has an App store, the company is still getting 50% more new users through the former. Evernote CEO Fille Ribin (Phil libin) says the Mac app downloads have increased 3 times times since the App store was launched. "To tell the truth, I think the biggest disadvantage of Windows today is that there is no app store." "he said. In his view, Microsoft is expected to make up for this shortfall by Windows 8, the launch of the App Store.　　He also said that he was heartened by the current state of development in Windows 8. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, unveiled the new Windows Development plan for the first time this January, Ballmer. He said that in addition to Intel and AMD processors, Windows 8 would support the ARM architecture for the first time, the latter already dominates mobile devices.　　The company first publicly demonstrated Windows 8 in early June. Microsoft spokesman Frank Show Frank Shaw declined to disclose further information about Windows 8.　　But he acknowledges that Microsoft is really focused on the tablet market and expects the company to become an important player in the field. Controversy persists so far, there is much controversy over the erosion of PC sales by tablet computers. Microsoft and Intel have long claimed that this is only an extension of the PC market, focusing on tasks such as watching movies and reading online.　　The two companies agree that the main target of Tablet PCs is netbooks.　　But other insiders hold a different view: In a April study, Goldman Sachs estimates that tablets will continue to erode sales of traditional PCs, "stealing" 35% and 33% of sales from the market in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Some market research companies have also started to count tablets as part of the PC market, boosting Apple's share dramatically. Apple has become the world's second-largest PC maker after Hewlett-Packard, according to Canalys, a UK market research firm.　　While the Mac accounts for only 5% of global PC shipments, Apple's global shipments in the second quarter of this year will be as high as 13.6%, after HP's 15.7%, a big boost from last year's 8.2%.　　According to Canalys data, the Wintel Alliance's market share is only 82%, a more than 20-year low. "If you can't build a strong enough product for the threat of a mobile market," said Bill Whyman, an ISI Group analyst at the US equity research firm, Bill Viman, Windows also faces risks. "The dominant position of windows in the corporate market will not be lost in the short term, especially in the corporate market.　　Although the ipad has sold 28.7 million units since its release in the spring of 2010, Microsoft's Windows 7 sales since 2009 have reached record highs of 400 million. Despite Apple's focus on the consumer market, the demand for the ipad is growing.　　The company said last month that 86% of the "Fortune 500" companies were deploying or testing the ipad, up from 75% in the previous quarter. Hopital Housekeeping Bae, the US medical system cleaning provider, has purchased 50 ipads for its employees. The company's managers can use the device to access Salesforce.com services to track the cleanliness of wards.　　Because of the faster boot speed, other executives at the company began using the ipad instead of Windows laptops for PowerPoint presentations. "It looks like a small matter. But in a lot of communication, saving a two minutes can make a big difference. "Shetty Housekeeping CEO Steve Jordan (Steve Jourdan) said. (PEI)