windows8New data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows satisfaction with Microsoft software declining slightly this year, falling 1.3 points to a score of 74 on a scale of 100.

The result follows the release of Windows 8 last fall, with a new interface that creates a learning curve for many longtime Windows users. David VanAmburg, director of ACSI, tells ComputerWorld that it’s clear Windows 8 didn’t boost Microsoft’s rating in the way Windows 7 did, but says it’s “perhaps too early to tell” how the new operating system will play out.

By comparison, Windows Vista’s release dropped Microsoft’s customer satisfaction rating to a low of 69 in 2008. The positive response to Windows 7 turned things around for the company, pushing its ASCI score to a peak of 78 in 2011.

Microsoft is planning to release a Windows 8.1 update that addresses some of the criticism of Windows 8, reportedly bringing back a form of the Start button that was previously removed from the traditional desktop.

In other results from the latest ASCI update, customer satisfaction with Apple’s iPhone declined 2 points to 81, although Apple remains well ahead of competitors including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and HTC. CNet has more on those results.

Here’s the underlying data from the latest ASCI report.

PreviouslyWindows 8 hits 100M licenses: ‘Very good, but not good enough,’ says Microsoft exec

 

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