By Daniel Mackrell
Posted on 3 Sep 2012 at 16:18
Windows 7 has become the most popular desktop operating system for the first time since it was launched in 2009.
Net Applications statistics show that Windows 7 currently has a 42.76% share of the global market, compared to 42.52% for Windows XP.
Over the last 12 months, Windows 7 has grown its market share by 12% - helped by Microsoft cutting XP support from April 2014. It's also likely helped by neither XP nor Vista supporting the soon-to-be-released Office 2013.
That growth could be set to stall with the imminent release of Windows 8. Windows users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 for £24.99 once it is released, which will likely hit next month’s figures as some users switch to the new operating system and others buy PCs and tablets with it already installed.
However, if Windows 8 doesn’t impress its users, Windows 7 could benefit, as Microsoft has confirmed those with Windows 8 Pro will be able to downgrade their PCs to the older OS if they prefer.
While the arrival of Windows 7 started the decline of Vista, the launch of that much derided OS didn't do much to dent XP's popularity. Windows Vista's market share is continuing to decline, falling from 9.4% last August to 6.15% this year - although an overall share of 92% means that there is no danger of Microsoft losing its dominance any time soon.
Read more: Windows 7 tops XP for first time | News | PC Pro http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/376705/windows-7-tops-xp-for-first-time#ixzz25QtDUU8b
Source PC Pro - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/376705/windows-7-tops-xp-for-first-time
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