Capturing (or retaining) a sizable amount of your established user base is a top priority for any iterative software launch. Given that Windows is the most widely used OS in the world, Microsoft had something of a captive audience ahead of the launch of Windows 10, but that shouldn’t detract from the company’s accomplishment in garnering installs.
Three months after it launched on July 29, Windows 10 has been installed more than 120 million times, according to a report from WinBeta. Microsoft’s goal is one billion installs over the course of three years — an optimistic aim, but one that the company is on pace for at the current rate of adoption.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Windows 10 likely wouldn’t have seen this massive influx of users if it wasn’t being offered for free. Given that Microsoft has hinted that the OS will eventually be offered at a price, it’s likely that these numbers will slow significantly once the initial rush is over.
However, Microsoft has an ace in the hole to ensure that Windows 10 adoption doesn’t slow to a halt. Windows 10 is an effort to bring a wide range of devices together via a coherent user experience, and that means that there are plenty of different types of devices whose users will choose to install Windows 10, adding to these already impressive figures.
The Xbox One is set to be brought in line with the rest of the Windows 10 family via an upcoming system update, and new tech like HoloLens is also set to use the OS as its foundation. A strong launch was thus just the beginning — Microsoft has made no bones about the fact that Windows 10 is a product for the long haul.
It was only this year that Windows 7 overtook XP as the most popular version of Microsoft’s flagship OS. It remains to be seen how long it will take for Windows 10 to begin its reign.
