More than half of consumers haven't heard of Windows 8

The Associated Press (AP) recently performed a 1,200 respondent telephone survey on the popularity of Windows 8. Survey results showed that 52 percent of those surveyed never heard of Windows 8. Furthermore, of those that have heard of Microsoft's new operating system, 61 percent said that they had little interest in Windows 8.

According to the survey, only 35 percent of respondents said they thought Windows 8 would be an improvement over previous incarnations of Microsoft's OS. The general consensus from respondents was that Windows 8 was a radical change to Windows, and that change was a bad thing.

Some respondents specifically pointed to the new OS being overly complex for what they want to do on their computer. Comments on the new active tile display seemed to suggest that Windows radically new design may have a learning curve that some consumers are uninterested in understanding.

While the AP's survey only focused on a relatively small sample size it does point to some of the issues Microsoft may face with its new OS.

As the leader in the operating system market Microsoft has to appeal to a large consumer group. Many of those consumers could be uninterested in learning a new OS. While early adopters may be quite fond of the new OS, many may feel left out by the new modern design.

Microsoft bet big on Windows 8. It even made its own tablet to prove its commitment to the new user interface and looks to be preparing itself for the a post-PC world. But only time will tell if users adapt to Microsoft's adapting business model.

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• Windows 8
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