Windows 10 ends 2015 with less than 10 percent of the desktop operating system market

By Jason Hahn Published January 2, 2016

For all the attention Windows 10 got in 2015 and the fact that the new operating system was free for many users, it may be surprising to hear that Microsoft’s desktop operating system ended the year with less than 10 percent market share.

As of December 2015, Windows 10 claimed 9.96 percent of the global desktop operating system market, according to Net Applications. Windows 7 led the way with 55.68 percent of the market, followed by Windows XP with 10.93 percent and Windows 8.1 with 10.30 percent. Mac OS X 10.11 had 2.99 percent of the market.

Recommended Videos

Overall, Windows had 91.32 percent of the market, Mac OS had 7.02 percent, and Linux had 1.66 percent, according to VentureBeat.

In August, its first month of availability, Windows 10 was downloaded 75 million times, according to Microsoft. During that first month, Windows 10 claimed 5.21 percent of the market, more than Mac OS X 10.10. The new operating system was free for users on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.

The first major update to Windows 10, codenamed Redstone, is scheduled for a summer 2016 release. Sources say the upgrade will focus on features related to seamlessly jumping between Windows devices and apps, as well as introducing extensions for Microsoft’s Edge browser.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…

Computing

Another frustrating reason to upgrade to Windows 11

A person looking frustrated at a laptop while sitting at a table.

As if you didn't already need plenty of reasons to finally upgrade to Windows 11, here's yet another.

The latest Windows 10 update, version KB5048239, isn't just failing to install -- it's actually updating successfully over and over again. This is the update that Microsoft first released in November 2024 on 21H2 and 22H2. As TechRadar reports, the software giant is rereleasing it again this month.

Computing

Windows 11 can now run on unsupported systems, but there’s a catch

A laptop sits on a desk with a Windows 11 wallpaper.

Microsoft is now allowing users to update to Windows 11 on older, unsupported hardware, including systems that don’t meet the operating system’s strict hardware requirements.

While the company initially set these requirements — including the need for a TPM 2.0 chip and specific processor models — to ensure performance, reliability, and security, it has now provided a manual installation option for those who want to use Windows 11 on unsupported machines.

Computing

Microsoft won’t back down on Windows 11’s biggest hurdle

The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft has reaffirmed that it will not lower the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, solidifying the need for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and a compatible CPU. This decision leaves many older PCs ineligible for the upgrade. Microsoft emphasizes that these standards are vital for improved security and performance.

As per a recent blog post titled “TPM 2.0 – a necessity for a secure and future-proof Windows 11,” Microsoft reaffirmed its decision not to relax Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements. TPM 2.0 is a hardware-based security feature that protects sensitive data and ensures secure boot processes. Microsoft argues that such measures are nonnegotiable as the company continues to address rising cybersecurity threats. The minimum requirements include a list of approved CPUs, starting from AMD Ryzen 2000 and Intel 8th Gen processors, that offer advanced security features and better performance efficiency.