Note: This blog post was researched and authored by CivicScience’s summer market research analyst, Paul Campbell.
On July 29th, Microsoft will release their last-ever version of Windows operating system, as they move to the concept of “Windows as a service” moving forward. Opting to leap over “9” and head straight to the much anticipated Windows 10, Microsoft hopes to upgrade one billion devices by the end of June 2018.
This is not another article highlighting all the super-cool features that Windows 10 is offering. If you want that article, I recommend checking out PCWorld.
Instead, this article aims to gain insight into the people who are planning to jump on board with Windows 10 and those who are not. When a new release of technology is unveiled, it is common for some to hesitate to adopt it right away for fear of the unknown. But with Microsoft offering the Windows 10 full version to users for free during the first year of its launch, that just might be the incentive that motivates uncertain users to upgrade sooner.
From late June to mid-July 2015, CivicScience launched research on our polling network to assess what over 3,500 responses from U.S. adults had to say about their timing plans for a Windows 10 upgrade:
Eliminating the 16% of consumers who don’t use Windows on a PC, we find that 21% of consumers plan to upgrade to Windows 10 in the first year of its release. Nearly 30% of these users haven’t decided on their timeframe yet, but a whopping 49% of Windows PC users state they have no plans to upgrade.
Let’s use the CivicScience InsightStore™ and its rich cross-tabulation capabilities to learn more about these respondents based on their answers.
Gender:
On average,
- Men were 33% more likely to answer as soon as possible.
- Women were 8% more likely to answer not sure yet.
So it looks like when compared to the average U.S. adult population, men seem to be more excited to upgrade to Windows 10 right away.
Age:
On average,
- 18-24 year olds were 56% more likely to answer as soon as possible.
- 25-29 year olds were 56% more likely to not use Windows on a PC.
- 55-64 year olds were 22% less likely to answer as soon as possible.
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the youngest adults are generally more likely to upgrade faster, as they have grown up with technology and always want the new, best thing. Older adults overall are less likely to upgrade right away, possibly due to the chore of having to learn yet ANOTHER operating system. But why are 25-29 year olds significantly more likely to not use Windows on a PC? The data in the CivicScience InsightStore™ also shows that age group is 62% more likely to use a Mac vs. a PC.
Parental Status:
On average,
- Those without children are 33% more likely to answer as soon as possible.
- Parents are 22% less likely to answer as soon as possible.
Parents are very busy people. They simply may not have time for another Windows operating system upgrade, and this also could be a proxy for age – younger people are less likely to be parents yet.
Income:
On average,
- Those earning more than $150K were 47% more likely to say they don’t use Windows on PC.
We see that those in the highest income group are 114% more likely to use a Mac over a PC.
College Major:
On average,
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math graduates were78% more likely to answer as soon as possible.
- Business graduates were 63% more likely to answer within the next year.
- Social Science graduates were 50% more likely to answer within the next year.
- Arts & Humanities graduates were 44% more likely to say they don’t use Windows on a PC.
Operating systems can benefit people in different ways. The consumer must see some value in the new Windows 10 that would be reason enough to upgrade. Those with a degree in the Arts tend to use Apple’s Mac operating system, which is perceived as being more creative. A shift is possible after Microsoft’s massive Windows 10 campaign launch this month, exposing consumers to the new capabilities and product features.
People will likely be reviewing the features of the new Windows 10 operating system prior to upgrading. Those who answered as soon as possible for this survey were 88% more likely to very frequently research products using a smartphone before purchasing them, whereas those who do not plan to upgrade were 15% more likely to not own a smartphone.
People who plan to upgrade as soon as possible tend to fall into our Market Maven category – meaning they are early adopters and evangelizers. Those who plan to upgrade as soon as possible were 88% more likely to say they try new products before others and were 41% more likely to say they tell others about new brands and technology. This is good for Microsoft as long as the new operating system lives up to the hype.
With Windows 10 promoted as a “service” for the user, Microsoft is clearly upping its game. They may be trying to better compete with Apple and their loyal fan base by offering the upgrade for free. From what we found, Windows has the potential to get more people excited about this release in the coming weeks as their marketing campaign rolls out and as the early adopters discuss their Windows 10 experience with their family and friends.
