Will Windows ever be toppled?
As Windows 7 sails successfully in the world, is Microsoft’s operating system set to dominate the market for decades to come? We take a look.

It doesn't matter where you glean the information from when it comes to assessing the dominance of Windows. Net Applications suggests more than 95 per cent market share. W3 Counter says just shy of 86 per cent. One Stat puts the number at just over 93 per cent, and Stat Counter agrees with that assessment too.
However you weigh up the market share of Windows, the simple truth remains that it was, is and will be for a long time the most dominant operating system on the planet. That's been the case for a generation now, cemented by the positive response that Windows 7 has just enjoyed.
And right now, Windows' nearest competitor, MacOS, bubbles around the five per cent mark. Windows, clearly, has a massive, massive advantage, although Linux has landed some heavier blows in the server market.
And thus it's a brave pundit indeed who would suggest that this isn't the status quo that's going to exist for a long time to come. Microsoft has dominated the operating system market now for the best part of two decades, and it's been fully cemented since the days of Windows 95. In that time, few contenders have been able to gather together even a hint of the required muscle and profile to chip away at Windows' position. On the whole, Microsoft has effortlessly with the exception of Linux and MacOS batted away its competition.
That's not to say it's utterly invulnerable. Just look at Internet Explorer. It's been five years now since Mozilla launched what has become the first really tangible rival to Microsoft's web browser, Firefox. Following the generally very positive press Firefox has received, and its perceived security advantages over Internet Explorer, it has managed to inflict some damage. But how much?
Half a decade later, a large slice of which Microsoft spent not paying its own product the attention it required, and Internet Explorer still accounts for nearly two thirds of the market. It'll be a good few years yet before its market share drops below 50 per cent, and that's in a market area where Microsoft was arguably the most vulnerable. It's a big punch that Firefox has thrown, but it's taken a long time to land.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
-
Tiny11 review: Windows 11 with only 2GB of RAM
Review A version of Windows 11 for older machines that don't meet the full requirements
By Nik Rawlinson
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux becomes foundational operating system for Cohesity Data Cloud
News New strategic partnership between Red Hat and Cohesity aims to drive innovation in the data security and management space
By Daniel Todd
-
Ubuntu shifts to four-week update cycle
News Critical fixes will also come every two weeks, mitigating the issues involved with releasing prompt patches on the old three-week cadence
By Richard Speed
-
AlmaLinux follows Oracle in ditching RHEL compatibility
News Application binary compatibility is now the aim with 1:1 now dropped
By Richard Speed
-
How big is the Windows 10 cliff-edge?
ITPro Network With some comparing the upcoming Windows 10 end of life to Windows XP, we ask members of the ITPro Network for their insight
By Jane McCallion
-
Everything you need to know about the latest Windows 11 updates - from bug fixes to brand-new features
News Two new cumulative updates are on the way and will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines
By Rory Bathgate
-
How to download a Windows 11 ISO file and perform a clean install
Tutorial Use a Windows 11 ISO to install the operating system afresh
By John Loeppky
-
We could all benefit from better Windows and macOS accessibility features
Opinion Today’s accessibility features can help you work through a nasty injury, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement
By Barry Collins