Windows Users Jumping Ship to Apple: Survey

Anti-virus company Avast conducted a survey of Windows-based PC users the day before Windows 8 was released.

The results were devastating for Microsoft and non-Apple PC makers.

They were excellent, meanwhile, for Apple.

Byron Acohido wrote up the results for USA Today and filmed a short video with charts. You can watch that here. In the meantime, here are the key points:

The survey covered 135,000 Windows users split across three versions of the operating system: Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Only a very small percentage of users—9 percent—said they were going to accelerate a purchase of a new computer because of Windows 8.

Overall, 16 percent of those surveyed said they planned to buy a new computer

Of these folks, a staggering 42 percent said they plan to buy an Apple product--either a Mac or an iPad.

Most of the Apple buyers (30 percent of the total buyers) planned to buy an iPad, suggesting that some of these planned purchases are motivated by the desire to buy a tablet. (Maybe Microsoft can save some of these with strong sales of the Surface.)

The rest of the switchers, 12 percent, planned to buy a Mac.

Related: Get Ready for a Big Week in Tech: Apple & Facebook Earnings, Mini iPad, Windows 8 & More

Last week, it was reported that Windows 8 sales are off to a weak start.

That's not surprising, given the results of this survey.

And the most ominous part of the survey is the implication that nearly a third of those who plan to buy a new computer plan to buy an iPad. Some of these purchases may be supplemental--the PC owners may keep their PCs--but they won't do anything to help the Wintel PC business.

Related: Apple Backlash Hits Critical Mass But "Cheap" Stock Stuck in Limbo

As tech guru Jean-Louis Gassee points out in his weekly note, the survey also suggests that Windows 8 has created a huge opportunity for Apple to convert a lot more Windows users to Apple products.

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