Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Windows 10 just now became the most popular version of Windows

By

Microsoft Windows 10
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the release of Windows 8 in 2012, many businesses and consumers chose to hold on to Windows 7. Many users were unfavorably impressed with the newer operating system’s dual interface design that was aimed at supporting both tablet and desktop computers. Those users may finally be moving on, however, as enterprises and everyday individuals continue to take the plunge into Windows 10, and the operating system commandeers Windows 7 holdovers  — reaching a 39.2-percent market share for all PCs.

Recommended Videos

Looking a bit closer at the numbers, we can see that Windows 10 has officially become the number one operating system on the planet. Along with the impressive 39.2-percent share on all PCs, it has a 45-percent share on all PCs running Windows (the first number includes other operating systems such as MacOS, Linux, and Chrome OS). Experts initially predicted the Windows 10 takeover at an earlier point last year, but the operating system’s adoption rate fell behind its growth forecast.

Related: 
Best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max (HBO), and more

Why the sudden shift to Windows 10? Within the tech community, there seems to be an axiom that Microsoft ultimately got every other operating system right, to a point where users are comfortable and happy with the result — we can see this pattern with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. And holdouts who kept their machines running Windows 7, avoiding the new interface design in Windows 8, seem to finally be making their way over to the new release.

Additionally, enterprise users are receiving a strong push from Microsoft as the company announced that it would be discontinuing support for Windows 7 in 2020. As always, Microsoft has offered an extended support option for Windows 7, but it will involve a monthly fee — a factor that most businesses would prefer not be present in their bottom line. Users who choose to hang onto Windows 7 after 2020 without a paid support subscription will find themselves vulnerable to security risks, bugs, and other issues that will not be patched.

Compared to past operating systems, estimated numbers for computers that will still be running Windows 7 when support ends in 2020 will still be quite high, coming in at 36 percent. Past operating systems that have remained in consumer and enterprise hands long after their expiration date include Windows XP, which had come in at 29 percent.

Michael Archambault
Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

Microsoft just turned 50, can its dominance last another half a century?
Microsoft at 50.

Microsoft is officially half a century old and what a half a century it's been. It went from being a small scale software company to dominating the world of personal computers, to today where it's worth over $3 trillion -- or at least it was until some recent tariff shenanigans. It's not the only name in the game any more, with Google's Android platform the most popular operating system on devices, but Microsoft's Windows still forms the backbone of the professional and gaming worlds, and that's not the only pie it has its fingers in.

From trying to wrestle control of the AI hype train, to endeavours in Quantum computing, Microsoft is looking to form the zeitgeist of the next 50 years. Let's take a look at some of its big wins over the past few decades, and what it might do in to secure some more in the years to come.

Read more
This Windows 11 update makes Start Menu much more desirable and usable again
The Dell XPS 13 on a table with the Start Menu open.

The Start Menu has been the central element in Microsoft Windows for nearly three decades. Though loved initially for its resourcefulness, the Menu went through some debatable -- I call them abhorrent -- changes with Windows 8, but eventually returned to occupying less space in the interface with Windows 8.1, and then Windows 10 and 11. Despite the rescuing, it is still reeling under the damaging changes in the form of recommendations and random automatically populating lists that reduce it to a mere glorified search interface. However, Microsoft may now be looking to resolve these issues and bringing back a more simplified interface with an upcoming update.

Microsoft is testing a new interface for Start Menu on Windows 11, reducing the existing clutter of randomly interspersed apps and files. X user @phantomofearth, renowned for testing new features in Windows Insider builds, gave us a good look at the new interface in a detailed video walkthrough.

Read more
Windows 11 users outsmart Microsoft once again with new local account trick
A screenshot of the Windows 11 Microsoft Account setup page

A newly discovered trick allows Windows 11 users to bypass Microsoft’s online account requirement during setup, raising questions around user control and privacy. The workaround, shared by X user @witherornot1337, lets users set up Windows 11 with a local account instead of being forced to log in with a Microsoft account.

This follows previous similar methods, highlighting an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and privacy-conscious users. Microsoft has been increasingly pushing online accounts as a mandatory requirement for Windows 11, particularly in Home and Pro editions. This change has frustrated many users who prefer local accounts for greater privacy and independence from Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Read more