Windows 8 for PC interest already waning?

Months before the software is even released, it appears interest in Microsoft's upcoming Windows® 8 may be on shaky ground, as a study from web analytics firm Net Applications shows relatively few people are test driving the consumer preview of the operating system.

PCWorld, reporting on Net Applications' findings, notes that Windows 8 is running on approximately 0.11 percent of the laptop and desktop computers that accessed the web in the last week of April. This is roughly the same percentage as March 2012 and approximately half the number of users who test drove Windows 7 three years ago.

Microsoft® launched the consumer preview of Windows 8 in late February 2012, offering users a chance to download a limited, unfinished PC version of the operating system.

However, it makes some sense that interest in the PC version of Windows 8 wouldn't be especially strong. More people are eyeing the operating system for its tablet computer capabilities and touch-friendly Metro style. Though Microsoft has not yet released a preview version of Windows for tablets, many industry observers have noted that Windows 8 may prove a viable alternative to the market-leading iPad®.