Most consumers don"t download and install a pre-release version of an OS on their PCs for a variety of reasons. However, a new study claims that among the few people who do take the plunge, Mac users seem to be more willing to try out a preview version of the next OS than those that use Windows PCs.
Computerworld.com reports that according to the study, which was organized by the Chitika online ad network, only 0.06 percent of Mac users which accessed the company"s network of sites used the beta version of Mountain Lion. The data was taken about one week after Apple first announced its plans for Mountain Lion in February and released the preview version.
By contrast, Chitika said just 0.021 percent of Windows PC users that connected to websites on its network were running the Windows 8 Developer Preview version one week after Microsoft released it in September 2011.
Of course, Microsoft let anyone download the Developer Preview build of Windows 8. Apple only allowed registered Mac OS developers to access the preview build of Mountain Lion. Indeed, Chitika said in a statement that these low percentage numbers may not mean that much in the long run, saying:
Low levels of use for unreleased versions of software are typical ... given that in the early stages of a product, the heaviest users tend to be developers who are focusing on testing and preparation of the release.