Microsoft’s Windows 10 is now three months old. According to latest data from Net Applications, the OS now powers 132 million PCs worldwide. Analytics firm Net Applications said Windows 10’s user share rose 1.3% in October to 7.94%. Following its launch on July 29, October was the third full month of the availability of the OS. The massive success of Windows 10 is largely due to the company offering it as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users.
Windows 10 accounts for 8.8% of all Windows devices
Windows 10’s share was 6.63% at the end of September and 5.21% for August. Latest figures show that the adoption rate has decelerated, but the OS is still growing at a healthy rate. At the end of October, Windows 10 accounted for 8.8% of all Windows devices. A Microsoft executive said on October 6 that more than 110 million Windows 10 devices were running worldwide.
Windows 10’s adoption rate is higher than that of Windows 7 was at the end of three months following its release. Windows 7 still commands 55.71% share of the global PC market, down slightly from 57.67% in August. The software giant doesn’t want Windows 7 to become another Windows XP. Microsoft aims to put its new OS on at least one billion devices by mid-2018. A massive user base will help the company convince app developers to build Universal apps for the Windows ecosystem.
Windows 10 installations to keep growing
The Windows 10 install base is expected to grow further in November as Microsoft launches Lumia 950 and 950XL running the OS. The software giant will also be pushing out the OS to Xbox One console. The Redmond-based company will be making the Windows 10 upgrade a recommended update instead of an optional one via Windows Update.
Even though Windows 10 has seen an impressive growth, Microsoft’s much-hyped Edge browser has failed to replace Google Chrome as the browser of choice for users. Recent data shows that Chrome still commands more than 70% share, followed by Mozilla Firefox with 15% share. Microsoft Edge browser has a meager 12% share on the new OS.
