The Chinese are still loyal to Windows 7

After more than 10 years of release, Windows 7 was killed on January 14. According to NetMarketShare , Microsoft’s decision affects nearly one-third of the world’s users, because they will no longer receive updates or patches.

However, the Chinese are not ready to part ways with the PC operating system that is overwhelming in this country. According to data from CNCERT , the National Computer Emergency Response Agency, as of the third quarter of 2019, half of all computers in China are still running Windows 7.

After the death of Windows 7, Microsoft also encouraged users to upgrade to Windows 10. But in fact, the number of computers running Microsoft’s latest operating system is only 10% in China. Windows 7 users in this country also do not intend to use the newer operating system version.

“As long as there is no virus on Windows 7, I will continue to use it,” said Bao Juan, a freelance worker. She thinks the Windows 7 platform is better than version 10. Not only Bao Juan, many other users from schools to offices in China have the same thought.

Many users still prefer Windows 7 over Windows 10. Photo: AFP .

“I am working at a hospital and some of the devices here are still running XP. Some new software related to medicine can’t even be installed on it, ”wrote a user on Weibo. Microsoft killed Windows XP in 2014, nearly 13 years after the birth of this operating system version.

Windows 10 was introduced in 2015, three years after Microsoft launched Windows 8 with a completely new design and interface that confused many users. The latest version of the operating system is considered to return to the user interface synchronized with the previous traditional type of Microsoft. However, the frequent updating of Windows 10 software makes many users annoying.

“I originally used Windows 10 but because it kept asking for updates and I couldn’t use the computer without doing that. I decided to switch to Windows 7 and will continue to use it, “said Xu, a third-year student at Nan Kunming University (China).

A number of users on Weibo also expressed the same discomfort for Windows 10. Countering the idea that Windows 7 is not adaptable, one user wrote: “You probably never fell. on the scene to hurry to do something. Sometimes, I have to use the computer right away, at the right moment when I turn on the computer, I see a notification that requires 10 to 20 minutes to update. It usually updates automatically and then it’s frozen, I can’t even turn off the computer. The operating system only works smoothly when I install the pirated version. ”

Another reason Chinese users are not keen on updating to Windows 10 is that their hardware is outdated.

Gude Mengan, a well-known technology blogger with more than two million followers, said: “Most users are avoiding upgrading to Windows 10 because the computers they are using are too old. The popularity of smartphones makes people use computers less and less.

From 2014 to date, China has a greater number of people accessing the Internet through smartphones and tablets than PCs. According to a recent report by market research firm QuestMobile, Chinese users spend six hours a day using mobile devices. Mobile applications are becoming an important part of people’s lives, from ordering coffee to watching videos on apps similar to YouTube or TikTok in Chinese.

Because of the dominance of mobile devices, most users are not very interested in buying new PCs, which leads to them not wanting to upgrade the operating system and deciding to stick with the old version. “It’s not like I don’t want to change it, but my computer can’t run Windows 10,” one user wrote.

Another health and health blogger with the nickname Miss D wrote on Weibo: “This rickety computer stuck with me from college to master’s degree, and it still runs Windows 7. I Just use it for word processing and web surfing. That’s why I didn’t upgrade. And there’s another important reason why I don’t want to upgrade Windows 10: I’m very poor. ”

The biggest challenge now for Microsoft is having to create habits for users. Because even if experts in the world have recommended that if you keep running an old version of the operating system, your computer is at risk of being attacked but most Chinese users are cold.

“I’m used to Windows 7, because it’s similar to the days of Windows XP. I do not want to change again. If I were to say that I use Windows 7 as if I was running and wearing nothing, I would be willing to be naked as well, ”one user said.