Windows 10 has become the most widely-used desktop platform across the globe, Netmarketshare has revealed, with its 39.22% market share edging past Windows 7 for the first time.
Microsoft's Windows 7 has continued to dominate the operating system market despite the software now being over nine years old and having been succeeded by Windows 8 in 2012 and Windows 10 in 2015.
The ageing software, however, still holds 36.90%, showing there's still a little way to go before Windows 7 is phased out in line with Windows XP and older desktop OSes.
These figures are in line with other analyst firms that suggest Windows 10 is gradually taking hold of the market. For example, StatCounter revealed Windows 10 had overtaken Windows 7 a year ago, although migration did stall throughout 2018.
In the same report, Netmarketshare revealed that MacOS had become the third most used operating system globally, with 10.65% of the market, while Windows XP is still being used by 4.54% of computer users. The widely unpopular Windows 8.1 platform is still used by 4.45% of the population, with a further 2.78% of the share going to Linux.
Although Microsoft has attempted to push people to migrate to Windows 10, through various free upgrade periods, migration has been slow given the popularity of Windows 7 and a reluctance from business users that need to ensure all software and legacy systems are compatible. Additionally, upgrading entire organisations to Windows 10 can be a logistical nightmare, but with Microsoft terminating support for the operating system in a year, it's something businesses need to take seriously in 2019.
Microsoft claims Windows 10 is the most security-heavy platform to date and despite there being a few major hiccups rolling it out, it's certainly gaining traction in both the business and consumer world.
It's also seen somewhat of a design overhaul, with a significantly modernised UI and moving away from many of the clunky additions found in Windows 7 and Windows 8.
-
Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?AI PCs are fast becoming a business staple and a surefire way to future-proof your business
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiativesNews Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
-
Tiny11 review: Windows 11 with only 2GB of RAMReview A version of Windows 11 for older machines that don't meet the full requirements
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux becomes foundational operating system for Cohesity Data CloudNews New strategic partnership between Red Hat and Cohesity aims to drive innovation in the data security and management space
-
Ubuntu shifts to four-week update cycleNews Critical fixes will also come every two weeks, mitigating the issues involved with releasing prompt patches on the old three-week cadence
-
AlmaLinux follows Oracle in ditching RHEL compatibilityNews Application binary compatibility is now the aim with 1:1 now dropped
-
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
-
Everything you need to know about the latest Windows 11 updates - from bug fixes to brand-new featuresNews Two new cumulative updates are on the way and will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines
-
How to download a Windows 11 ISO file and perform a clean installTutorial Use a Windows 11 ISO to install the operating system afresh
-
We could all benefit from better Windows and macOS accessibility featuresOpinion Today’s accessibility features can help you work through a nasty injury, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement
