Could Android replace Windows?

Looking back through the history books and it is clear to see that every dominant force has a shelf life, albeit some dominate for longer periods than others. As almost every industry works in cycles when it comes to success, it should not come as a surprise that many analysts are predicting that Android could become the new Windows within the not so distant future.

Casting our minds back 25 years ago and the name that was synonymous with computing and technology was Microsoft. This juggernaut of a company had a complete stranglehold over the industry in that competition was virtually non-existent. Looking at most PC’s globally, it would have been fair to assume that the only operating system created was Windows, simply because it was found on almost every machine.

Microsoft was dominating the market with approximately 90 per cent market share in the computing industry, making Bill Gates a household name. In contrast, one of the worlds leading companies today, namely Apple, was trying to gather a foothold in this market place. However, fast forward to 2015 and the technological landscape has shifted dramatically in a variety of ways.

The first cracks in Microsoft and Windows armory came in the late 1990s and the start of the new millennium with the rise of Apple under Steve Jobs and his quest to make Apple more relevant to the modern day user. However, Windows was still relatively comfortable until 2007 when the first iPhone was released and catapulted Apple into mainstream dominance.

With the buzz created around the iPhone and the App Store, Apple went from a company largely in the shadow of Microsoft, into becoming a market leader in the technological industry. The market from that point onwards saw a dramatic shift as millions of new computing devices were purchased by technology hungry customers, thus resulting in Microsoft losing its number one position.

While Apple has replaced Microsoft as the market leader in the computing industry, Android has mounted a similar assault on Windows to contest the title of most relevant operating system globally. A leading forecast by Gartner found that Google’s open operating system could be installed on as many as 60 percent of all connected devices shipped by the end of this year. This is staggering when you factor in that this includes PCs, mobile devices, tablets and the latest trend in the industry – “hypermobiles”. Hypermobiles are essentially tablet/PC hybrids and cloud based laptops such as the popular Google Chromebook.

The year 2014 saw more than one billion Android devices being shipped globally, thus leading many industry experts to predict that Android’s installed base to breach the two billion mark. In contrast, Apple which has also seen a rise over the last 7-8 years with the introduction of Mac OS and iOS, still trail Windows in terms of market share.

As we have seen throughout this blog, the technological landscape is changing at a rapid pace as new innovations are introduced to technology hungry customers. To find out how your business can offer a unique mobile app to customers, please contact Eazi-Apps today.