This was a relatively low key week, when taken in context to the highs of the final two weeks of October. In other words, the proverbial and customary calm before the storm! Things are expected to really pick up in the coming days, but this week primarily all about numbers, figures, and statistics. Tons of them!
Here is a small selection of big stories of this past week.
Statistics of the Week
What would you say to 1 million app downloads in a matter of days? Microsoft was quick to hit this number when it unleashed its collection of Remote Desktop apps on Android, iOS and Mac platforms. Expect this counter to only climb when the Windows Phone versions come strolling around.
Turnaround of the Week
Intel sure has a thing with competing processor companies that have three letter names, but while VIA is a small fish, it’s the competitors that start with the letter A that are the real rivals, AMD and ARM. Now though, the chip giant has made quite a reversal and will develop some ARM based solutions next year.
Milestone of the Week
While operating system and browser data is usually a monthly affair, at the end of every quarter attention shifts towards shipments of mobile devices and market shares of the various platforms. Good news, then, that Windows Phone just bagged a new record of 10.2 million units in the third quarter.
Figure of the Week
Leave it to Microsoft to plan elaborate worldwide marketing campaigns for its flagship products. And it does not get more flagship than Windows 8.1, the latest version of the company’s universally popular operating system. News is that some $405 million has been set aside as the marketing budget.
Scare of the Week
While Microsoft announced its intention to stop supporting Windows XP next year a fair while back, but with just under six months remaining in retirement, the complete scope of the situation is becoming clear. And it’s scary. One in three business PC is estimated to be running the aging OS. Like I said, scary!
