Microsoft has finally seen use of its Windows 7 operating system (OS) overtake that of its ten year old brother, Windows XP. Windows 7 was released on July 22, 2009 and with Windows XP so intrenched, it has taken little over two-years to catch up.
Web analytics firm Statcounter revealed the change in usage and explained that globally Windows 7 has a 40.5 per cent market share, Windows XP has 38.5 per cent, and Windows Vista has 11.2 per cent.
“Vista was like the ugly duck that few wanted to dance with,” said Aodhan Cullen, CEO, Statcounter, as he announced the changes.
So they just renamed it and fooled the masses and resold it as Windows 7.
“Despite Microsoft trying to keep it back in the kitchen, Windows XP has retained tremendous loyalty over the last decade. However, it looks like the younger Windows 7 is now emerging in its defined role finally”
The usage charts are not the same across the planet and while Windows 7 has overtaken Windows XP in the US and Europe, the latter is still dominant in Asia, where it has a 55 per cent market share. Windows 7, by comparison, has 36 per cent.
It is has been a little over ten years since Microsoft released the Windows XP operating system, and in those years Microsoft has tried to tempt users away with not just one, but two major OS releases, neither of which seemed to be able to pull entrenched, and mostly business, users away from its veteran OS.
Microsoft has committed to support the Windows XP OS until 2014, but perhaps only begrudgingly. This is why I have a countdown clock on the right-hand side of this website to remind people of this fact.
Honestly, what does Windows 7 offer that Windows XP does not? Obviously, it cannot be security as both are malware prone. Fortunately, Linux does not have those rootkit problems like any version of MS Windows does. Instead of constant reimages/reinstalls, I simply get more work done, and this company makes money by assisting those that refuse to adapt.