Here's the February Numbers!

[Vince Massi]

Okay, here are the numbers at the end of February 2016!



Total Market Share

Windows 7

52.34%

Windows 10

12.82%

Windows XP

11.24%

Windows 8.1

9.83%

Mac OS X 10.11

3.72%

Windows 8

2.43%

Mac OS X 10.10

2.20%

Linux

1.78%

Windows Vista

1.66%

Mac OS X 10.9

0.87%

Mac OS X 10.6

0.34%

Mac OS X 10.8

0.28%

Mac OS X 10.7

0.28%

Windows NT

0.12%

Mac OS X 10.5

0.05%

Mac OS X 10.4

0.02%

Windows 2000

0.01%

Windows 98

0.01%

Mac OS X (no version reported)

0.00%





Let me re-organize the numbers:

Some version of Windows: 90.46%

Some version of Mac OS: 7.78

Some version of Linux: 1.78%



Some notes: Mac OS X 10. 4 ( Mac Tiger) was released in 2005. With .02% of the market, Tiger is the only operating system that can run Mac OS IX software.

Windows 98 is more popular that Windows ME that replaced it. Windows 98 fans point out that it never glitches.

Why does XP have 11.24% of the market? Because the machines that use it are wearing out—otherwise it would have even more.

Why do more than half of all computers still use Windows 7? Because if you think Microsoft is having trouble getting rid of XP, they’ve met their match with 7.

Why do more than twice as many computers use 7 as use 10, 8, and 8.1 combined?

1) Microsoft’s incredibly stupid decision to get rid of the Start Button in Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.

2) Windows 7 works so well.

3) The difficult, painful upgrade from 8 to 8.1 frightened many consumers out of the easy upgrade to 10.

4) Microsoft’s incredibly stupid decision not to restore the Start Button to Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.

5) Microsoft’s incredibly stupid decision to add an imitation Start Button to Windows 8 decreased consumer confidence in MS.

6) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—especially when dealing with a company like Microsoft.

 

[clifford_cooley]

The Start Menu is only a portion of the problem.

 

[jmccleary50]

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—especially when dealing with a company like Microsoft

Comment: I just purchased a new Dell with windows 7 Pro and the plan is to keep it factory pure after some hard learning experiences with restore to factory state on earlier PCs.

My considered opinion now is that 7 is forever and 10 is to play with while they try to get it right.

 

[Tim Locke]

I bet that the continued life of XP and 7 is a function of two things.
1. corporate use. A place I know about changed from W2000pro to XP but only partially and then wholeheartedly to 7 where they may well stall until 2020. Missing out Vista and 8/8.1 totally.
2. The machines that consumers bought with those OS are new enough to be reliable and fast enough for general use...so why change anything.

 

[jmccleary50]

Windows 98 is more popular that Windows ME that replaced it. Windows 98 fans point out that it never glitches

That's a comment from yesteryear but as I dimly remember I certainly can't disagree with it.

 

[Tim Locke]

I went from W95 straight to NT 3.51 and then W2000. The company and myself at home just stopped with 16 bit and moved to 32 bit. We had also been using VAXes and were used to a 32 bit environment

 

[Vince Massi]

That's a comment from yesteryear but as I dimly remember I certainly can't disagree with it.

Jm, I remember the anger sixteen years ago from people who had upgraded from 98 to ME. I never had a problem with ME, and I considered it an improvement over 98 (which I had also liked). But I was in a minority.

 

[mjcairney]

Some interesting number there, especially the ones showing that XP is not far behind Windows 10.

Progress????

 

[Gideon]

XP is not safe to use.

 

[Tim Locke]

XP is not safe to use.

Although there are millions out there...a lot of which are in corporate environments not connected to the 'net at all. They are still unsafe of course if some malefactor sneaks in with a thumb drive... or something I have actually seen,someone copies an email from their home pc with an attachment without ever looking at it themselves, brings it to work and uploads it to everybody.

 

[Vince Massi]

No OS is completely safe. But XP users have learned to keep their anti-malware programs updated. My main computer has XP, 8, and 10 on separate partitions. I have never had a problem with XP.

 

[Defender01]

No OS is completely safe. But XP users have learned to keep their anti-malware programs updated. My main computer has XP, 8, and 10 on separate partitions. I have never had a problem with XP.

Yes i still have a pc on XP no problems in fact fewer problems than many are having on W 10
actually the XP forum is still quite active.

 

[Vince Massi]

Yes i still have a pc on XP no problems in fact fewer problems than many are having on W 10
actually the XP forum is still quite active.

The situation here is that XP is an outstanding OS. But it is designed for 32-bit systems that are no longer being made. And I had been saying for years that if you think Microsoft is having a hard time getting rid of XP, wait until they have to get rid of 7.

 

[Defender01]

The situation here is that XP is an outstanding OS. But it is designed for 32-bit systems that are no longer being made. And I had been saying for years that if you think Microsoft is having a hard time getting rid of XP, wait until they have to get rid of 7.

As you say XP is an outstanding OS.
The fact that you say XP is an outstanding OS says it all.
I also believe that W10 will in time become perhaps as good but how long that will be is anyone's guess.