China's replacement for Windows is an XP ripoff

China has been trying to move away from relying on Microsoft's Windows software for its government, enterprise, and education industries. The Chinese government originally partnered with Ubuntu maker Canonical back in 2013 to create an alternative to Windows, codenamed Kylin. While that initial effort didn't really take off, a new Linux-based operating system dubbed NeoKylin is quickly becoming one of the most popular alternatives to Windows in China.

Quartz has taken a closer look at NeoKylin, and it's clear it's simply a Windows XP ripoff. Built by Shanghai's China Standard Software, NeoKylin includes a Start menu with a skin that looks like the Media Center version of Microsoft's famous Window XP theme. It's shamelessly identical, even down to references to My Computer, My Documents, Control Panel, and even a Recycle Bin. NeoKylin also includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives that look identical to Microsoft's counterparts, and are reportedly based on an old modified version of OpenOffice.

Dell is even selling PCs running the software in China, with more than 40 percent of its commercial PC sales shipping with NeoKylin. "The NeoKylin OS is available on Dell Latitude commercial laptops, Dell OptiPlex commercial desktops, and DellPrecision workstations," a Dell spokesperson told Quartz. It's not clear if Dell's machines run the same Windows XP skin, as there are alternative themes for the NeoKylin OS.

It's not surprising that a Chinese company has created a Windows XP alternative. The operating system is still hugely popular in China, with estimates last year suggesting that as many as 27 percent of all Windows machines in China are still running Windows XP. Microsoft was left "surprised" when the Chinese government announced its plans to ban Windows 8 usage following the end of support for Windows XP. Microsoft has continued to supply Windows 7 to the Chinese government.

Windows XP clings to No. 2 spot as Windows 10 gets closer

Windows XP continues its descent among desktop operating systems, though it's far from dead and buried.

Looking at the overall Web traffic for desktop operating systems across the globe, Net Applications gave XP a 16.9 percent share for the month of March, a hefty drop from the 19.1 percent recorded in February.

Though XP's grip on the market continues to loosen, it remains the No. 2 most-used operating system based on Net Application's Web stats, beating Windows 8 and 8.1 and their collective share of 14 percent. Windows 8.1 took the third spot with a 10.5 percent share, leaving Windows 8 in fifth place with just 3.5 percent.

Windows 7 holds the top spot, with a share of 58 percent.

The enduring hold of the 13-year-old Windows XP on PC users underscores the challenges Microsoft has faced as it tries to move ahead with new versions of its flagship operating system, which the company says has more than 1.5 billion users around the world. The staying power has even proven resistant to Microsoft's end of support for XP a year ago, which put an end to bug fixes and and other patches, leaving users more vulnerable to security threats.

There are ripple effects as well. Last month, chipmaker Intel slashed nearly $1 billion off its quarterly revenue outlook, in large part because small and midsize businesses have been reluctant to upgrade from Windows XP -- a popular but now 13-year-old operating system. PC makers, such as Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Acer, would also feel a pinch from slower refreshes from Windows XP.

The next leap forward comes this summer when Microsoft plans to release Windows 10, which among other things aims to avoid the missteps of Windows 8 and to provide a consistent software experience across devices including desktops, laptops, smartphones and even Internet of Things gear including ATMs and ultrasound machines.

With Windows 10 arriving soon, what choices are available to those who want to upgrade?

For users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft is offering free upgrades to Windows 10 for the first year. That means you can download and install Windows 10 for free and directly upgrade your existing PC. But users still running Windows XP or Vista won't be able to ugprade their PCs directly to Windows 10, according to Microsoft. That leaves them the choice of upgrading to Windows 8.1 and then to Windows 10 or simply buying a new PC this summer already equipped with Windows 10.

Currently available as a technical preview, Windows 10 has been showing up as a blip on Net Applications' radar. For March, the new OS took home a share of just under 0.1 percent.