Windows 8 Device Stats: September 2014

Every month, I highlight AdDuplex's Windows Phone usage statistics, but this month they're taking a peek at Windows device—Windows 8.x-based tablets, 2-in-1s and other devices—usage. The firm provides this kind of survey about twice a year, and it's interesting to see which devices—and device types—are actually taking off with users.

As you may remember, AdDuplex bills itself as the largest cross-promotion network for Windows Phone and Windows 8 apps, empowering developers and publishers to promote their apps for free by helping each other. And each month it provides a tantalizing glimpse at which Windows Phone (and Windows) devices people are actually using.

Here's what's happening with Windows devices this month.

Surface Pro 3 is a success. Released in July and thus since the previous May report from AdDuplex, Surface Pro 3 is already in the top 10: Its usage has already surpassed that of Surface Pro 2 and it is quickly catching up to the original Surface Pro. According to AdDuplex, about 0.92 percent of all Windows devices in use are Surface Pro 3. That's beter than the Surface Pro 2's 0.68 percent usage share, and just a hair behind the original Surface Pro, which accounts for 0.93 percent of all usage.

Surface RT/2.0 still lead the pack. Here's a shocker: Microsoft's Windows RT-based Surface devices are the number one and two most often used Windows devices on earth. Surface RT is number one with 9.82 percent of usage, and Surface 2 has 2.41 percent, so together these devices represent over 12 percent of all Windows device usage. WTH. Add in the Surface Pro devices and Microsoft now controls about 15 percent of all Windows device usage. Again. WTH.

The top ten devices. The top ten Windows devices break down like so: Surface RT (9.82 percent), Surface 2 (2.41), HP 15/Pavilion 15 (2.37), ASUS Transformer Book T100 (2.16), Dell Inspiron 3521 (1.48), HP 2000 (1.47), HP Pavilion g6 (1.09), Surface Pro (0.93), Surface Pro 3 (0.92), and HP Pavilion 17 (0.85).

Top 5 PC makers by usage. The top 5 PC makers (by usage) are HP (19.85 percent), Dell (12.7 percent), Microsoft (14.75 percent), ASUS (11.24 percent), and Lenovo (8.33 percent). As you may know, this does not correspond to PC market share at all, but that makes sense: PCs are used for many years, so usage corresponds to sales of devices from companies that used to lead the PC market (HP, Dell) and not the one that leads sales now (Lenovo). But Microsoft is the number three PC maker by usage?! WTH X2.

Why Samsung is leaving the PC market (in Europe). What's interesting is that struggling PC makers that have been in the news lately—Sony, Toshiba and Samsung—are all at the bottom of the heap. Now you know why Samsung just announced that it's leaving the PC market in Europe. It's not that PCs aren't selling. It's that Samsung's PCs aren't selling. (And bad news for Gateway: It has even lower usage numbers than those companies.)