Windows 10 Surpasses Windows XP, Windows 8.1 in Market Share: Report

In less than six months since its release, Windows 10 has already gotten enough installations to surpass the number of Windows XP users or Windows 8.1 users.

According to the latest figures from marketing research firm Net Applications, Windows 10 is now being used on 11.85 percent of all computers in the world, whereas Windows XP, the decade-old operating system, is powering 11.42 percent computers worldwide.

Microsoft will be pleased with the numbers, as not too long ago, Windows XP had more than 40 percent of the market. The Redmond, Washington-based company announced the end of support for Windows XP in April 2014. At the time of the announcement, more than 33 percent of all computers were still running Windows XP. Users on Windows XP aren't eligible to receive security updates from the company.

Microsoft will also be delighted to know that Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users - for whom Windows 10 is a free upgrade - are finding the new operating system interesting. The market share for both the operating system has seen a decline in the past one month, with Windows 8.1 now accounting for only 10.4 percent of all the computers. For a refresh, as of 2014, Microsoft had sold around 200 million licenses of Windows 8, while Windows 7 was estimated to have more than 600 million installs.

Last month, Microsoft announced that more than 200 million active computers were running Windows 10 six months after its launch in July. The company added that the adoption rate of Windows 10 was 140 percent faster than Windows 7, and nearly 400 percent faster than Windows 8.

Google to Take 'Apple-Like' Approach for Nexus Devices: Report

It's no secret Google wants more control over the design and building of Nexus smartphones, with multiple reports pointing to changes to policies over the years. A report now claims that the Android maker plans to take an Apple-like approach with its Nexus-branded smartphones, exerting complete control over the design, hardware, and software of the devices.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai aims to vertically integrate Google's phone operations, reports The Information. As of now, Google's Nexus partners send a team to Google's headquarters for manufacturing the smartphone. The report claims that Google wants a complete say on design and other aspects of development.
Google wants its hardware makers to be "order-takers," similar to how Apple handles Foxconn, the contract manufacturer that produces iPhone handsets. Apple designs the smartphone, mandates the SoC and other aspects of the development.

Also, the current batch of Nexus smartphones has "Nexus" logo as well as the name and logo of the manufacturer on the back of the smartphone. The report claims that moving forward Nexus smartphones may have Google brand plastered on them. The company reportedly intends to compete with Apple in the high-end smartphone market.

Over the months, Google has gotten serious about its hardware. In addition to the Nexus program, at one time, the company also maintained a Google Play Edition lineup, under which many smartphones manufacturer launched a variant of their respective flagship smartphone with stock Android experience.
Earlier reports, Google has also grown interested in designing its own chips. The company was said to be in talks with small SoC manufacturers to have them make its custom-designed processors.

Google has in the past designed devices itself, and had them produced by manufacturers, such as its Pixel lineup. The company mandates design and other instructions to its partners for Pixel devices.
The report claims that major OEMs aren't happy about the current Nexus program. For instance, it gives Samsung as an example, which hasn't produced a Nexus smartphone since 2011. So Google certainly needs to come up with something new.

Notably, HTC is said to be manufacturing both Nexus smartphones this year, earlier reports have claimed.

Datawind DroidSurfer 10, DroidSurfer 7 Android 'Netbooks' Launched in India

Datawind on Monday launched two budget Android 'netbooks' in the Indian market, under its 'DroidSurfer' series. Called the DroidSurfer 10 and the DroidSurfer 7, the netbooks are priced at Rs. 7,999 and Rs. 5,999 respectively, and will be available via retail distribution outlets in India. The devices arrive with free unlimited Internet browsing packs valid for a year on Reliance and Telenor prepaid connection.
As before, the first year of free unlimited Internet browsing via the UbiSurfer browser does not include audio/ video streaming or local-downloads. Datawind says users will have to purchase separate top-up plans for this.
"Our goal is to deliver Internet, fast, free, anytime and everywhere. The DriodSurfer netbook devices provide the ultimate flexibility between work and play with good battery life," said Suneet Singh Tuli, President & CEO of Datawind Inc during the launch. "We want to make learning fun while at the same time want more and more people to join the digital age. Our focus on introduction of 'just-right' featured devices at the most affordable prices is our way of contributing to the Digital India Vision," he added.
The Datawind DroidSurfer 10 features a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a 1024x600 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor (unspecified), clubbed with 1GB RAM. It bears 8GB inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card (unspecified limit). Besides a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, the device bears 6000mAh battery. On the connectivity front, the DroidSurfer 10 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, HDMI port, and Micro-USB (with OTG).

The Datawind DroidSurfer 7 on the other hand features a 7-inch touchscreen with a WVGA (800x400 pixels) resolution. It is powered by the same processor as the DroidSurfer 10, but is clubbed with just 512MB RAM. It houses 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card (unspecified limit). While the camera stays the same, the battery has been cut down to 4000mAh. It supports the same connectivity options.

Datawind launched two entry-level smartphones in India with free 1-year of Internet last month - the PocketSurfer 2G4X and PocketSurfer 3G4Z, priced at Rs. 2,499 and Rs. 3,999 respectively.