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Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark

By | August 2, 2011, 8:50am PDT

Summary: Windows XP — the world’s most popular operating system — has finally dipped below the 50 percent mark, as Windows 7 takes its place.

Enterprises are finally waking up to the inevitability that they will have to upgrade either their systems, or their ageing operating system, as the Windows XP market share mark drops below 50 percent.

At over ten years old, Windows XP has been slowly losing momentum during each month since Windows 7’s release, according to statistics collected by Net Applications.

While Microsoft still has around 87 percent share in the operating system market, Apple’s share is slowly but steadily rising.

With Vista’s share holding at only 9 per cent, Apple’s operating system share has been steadily increasing thanks to the widely used iOS on iPhones and iPads.

With only three years before Windows XP is no longer supported, the enterprise sector in particular — making up businesses, universities and government — have had no option but to upgrade to a more recent  version of Windows.

Many have been putting off the upgrade due to unsatisfactory upgrade paths from Windows XP to Windows 7, requiring either an intermediary Windows Vista upgrade to continue through, or a replacement of hardware to have Windows 7 pre-installed.

While Microsoft is firm in its efforts to rid the world of Internet Explorer 6 — the browser pre-installed with Windows XP — the company has not acknowledged the market share dip of its long running operating system.

What is clear, however, is that Windows 7’s rise in numbers is directly attributable to Windows XP’s decline. Though more businesses and consumers are still using Windows XP over newer Windows 7, Microsoft still needs to make the upgrade process simpler, and less Vista-orientated to get more people on board.

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Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from CNN, the Huffington Post, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
ScorpioBlue 3rd Aug
By that logic, we can obviously conclude that OS X and Linux are horrendously, abysmally bad. right?

Uh, this isn't about OSX or Linux, which makes your illogical conclusion off topic.
View in thread
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
XP has been below 50% for some time now depending on which counter you have more faith in. Even Wikipedia has XP listed at 37%

I've been saying it for a while now that XP would not be getting any more reprieves, yet no one believed me. Even after it was public knowledge that IE9 wasn't going to run on the OS. But the time has come to get off this cancer. It's been time. XP does nothing but spread disease across our networks. At least 74% of tested machines by Avast had a rootkit infection. 74%!? If that's not further proof that XP needs to die, then I don't know what is.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
owlnet 2nd Aug
"74% of tested machines by Avast had a rootkit infection", that doesn't add up. Where did they test, in China?
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
@owlnet

I'm guessing it's based on tested machines using the Avast suite. 74% of them were Windows XP machines.

http://www.neowin.net/news/avast-windows-xp-makes-up-74-of-rootkit-infections
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Digger_z 2nd Aug
@Cylon Centurion

That report doesn't say that 74% of XP machines are infected, it says of the machines that are infected, 74% are running XP. A very big difference in interpretation, although your point about XP being too insecure to keep using is valid.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
blind obedience 2nd Aug
That report doesn't say that 74% of XP machines are infected, it says of the machines that are infected, 74% are running XP. A very big difference in interpretation, although your point about XP being too insecure to keep using is valid.

Well he has a quota of Windoze 7 sales ta meet, ya know... wink
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
@blind obedience

You sure are blind alright.
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Blind about what?
blind obedience 2nd Aug
@Cylon Centurion your motives here are crystal. No doubt about it.
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Contributr
Most of us aren't in the business of buying operating systems
dkusnetzky 2nd Aug
What I think that many industry watchers (and Microsoft) have been missing is that most of us, consumers or businesses, are not in the business of buying operating systems. No, we're in another business and an an operating system is merely a tool. If a tool works well enough to get by, people will continue to use it.

Microsoft has been telling us to upgrade but placing obstacles in the path of those still using Windows XP. In many ways, it is as hard or as easy for these people to move to Mac OS or Linux based systems as it is to move from Windows XP to Windows 7.

I believe that when Microsoft points at these people/companies for not upgrading they should notice that many of their own fingers are pointing back at them.

Dan K
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Aerowind 2nd Aug
@dkusnetzky Consumers are like this as well. We don't buy new operating systems...we buy computers. If a 10 year old computer is still doing what the consumer needs it to do, they don't see any reason to upgrade. They'll upgrade when their computer finally explodes.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Badgered 2nd Aug
@dkusnetzky In many ways, it is as hard or as easy for these people to move to Mac OS or Linux based systems as it is to move from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Good point. Never really thought of it that way. For those looking to leave MS, this would be the ideal time.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
bobiroc 2nd Aug
@dkusnetzky

And no one is saying that anyone has to upgrade/replace their computer. On the same note you cannot whine and complain when the older technology is not as secure or does not offer all the features of the new technology. I hear that a lot when Microsoft updates a browser or other applications for the newer operating systems or when a 3rd party hardware or software vendor releases a product that does not support the older OSes. Technology moves forward so consumers and businesses should make an effective plan that fits their needs and their budget to move with it at some pace otherwise you cannot expect the world to stop because of you. I mean you do not go back to Ford and say that your 1972 Ford Galaxie should be updated with Air Bags, ABS Brakes, Satellite Radio, and a GPS unit do you? If it still works go ahead and use it but do not complain when newer versions offer more or when support for that old version stops.
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Apple propaganda?
Tim Acheson Updated - 2nd Aug
I read the headline and clicked the link just to see if Zack could resist spinning this into Apple propaganda, and I was not disapointed:

"While Microsoft still has around 87 percent share in the operating system market, Apples share is slowly but steadily rising."

Let's not insinuate that the small decline in ten-year-old WinXP usage has much to do with Apple.

Windows 7 is the fastest-selling operating system of any kind of all time. But of course it's cool and trendy to put Apple in that sentence instead, and of course some people are rewarded well for promoting Apple.

In the last quarter, Apple didn't even sell 4 million Macs! Last quarter I checked on Windows PC sales the figure was 90 million sold in that quarter alone.

"Windows 7?s rise in numbers is directly attributable to Windows XP?s decline."

It's a shame I had to wait until the last paragraph, after wading through what seemed like standard Apple propaganda, for the actual point of the story and the reason for the headline.
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Don't forget, many of those Windows 7 sales
William Farrell 2nd Aug
@Tim Acheson
are going onto Apple hardware, so both can grow, even while XP dies.

How many people are loading WIndows XP onto their Macs?
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
@William Farrell

No one. Windows XP isn't supported.
  • Flagged
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Only new Lion based Macs don't support XP
adacosta38 Updated - 2nd Aug
@Cylon Centurion Mac's sold with Snow Leopard just before Lion support Windows XP. The new version of Boot Camp (version 4) which ships with Lion does not support XP or Vista. If you install Boot Camp 4 on a Snow Leopard Mac with Windows XP or Vista it continue to function just fine, even if you upgrade it to Lion.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
@adacosta38

Thanks for the clarification .
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Imrhien 2nd Aug
@adacosta38 See? Even Apple wants you to stop using Windows XP and upgrade to Vista. Lolol. I wonder what happens if you upgrade to Lion - do your XP bootcamp installs stop working? Wouldn't surprise me.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
mrlinux 2nd Aug
@Tim Acheson Actually Android is the fastest growing Operating System.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
blind obedience 2nd Aug
Windows 7 is the fastest-selling operating system of any kind of all time.

The fastest-selling operating system of any kind of all time??

lol...

Good sales pitch. If it was 'so good', everybody would have been running to it by now.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
rtk 3rd Aug
@blind obedience

"If it was 'so good', everybody would have been running to it by now. "

By that logic, we can obviously conclude that OS X and Linux are horrendously, abysmally bad. right?
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
ScorpioBlue 3rd Aug
By that logic, we can obviously conclude that OS X and Linux are horrendously, abysmally bad. right?

Uh, this isn't about OSX or Linux, which makes your illogical conclusion off topic.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Bill4 2nd Aug
But if Windows 8 is coming out next year why would I want Windows 7 right now?
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
noagenda 2nd Aug
@Bill4
For consumers ... not so much ... for enterprise not being on the 'cutting edge' is oft times very important.
That said, folks sure do line up evry 6-12 months for the 'new shinny'. Apple makes a killing exploiting this characteristic of some folks.
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No Companies upgrade anyway....
condelirios 2nd Aug
Geez.. the upgrade path is Hardware Refresh. PERIOD. large companies do NOT upgrade the OS. They either A) Replace hardware...generally on a 3 year cycle or B) Re-image the machine with a completely fresh OS and core applications load.

They NEVER ... EVER ... upgrade. So the path isn't what is holding them back. Time is all that is holding them back. As the PCs are replaced, they all have Windows 7 and the XP machines are recycled. End of Story. Watch the next 18 months go by and you will see I am correct.
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I PREDICT . . .
fm-usa 2nd Aug
There will be about a 25% HARD CORE devoted users of Win-XP after the support runs out. WAY WAY WAY too many people cannot use some of there hardware when I load Win-7, so they went back to Win-XP.
THAT in itself should tell MicroSoft something, but they are not listening to there wanna-be Win-7 buyers.
Why not keep 2 OS's running Win-XP and Win-7-8-9-10-11-xx-xx-. . . . .
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
Cylon Centurion 2nd Aug
@fm-usa

That won't happen. Microsoft would loose money continuing to support XP like that.
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RE: Way Way Way too many people
bobiroc 2nd Aug
@fm-usa

So how many people are still using an 8 year old computer as their primary computer? Just wondering because there isn't that much hardware out there that is NOT win7 compatible unless it is way old. Not saying that people should upgrade if they do not want to but hardware incompatibility is a poor excuse as it is not as bad as some would make it out to be.

It is a shame that the hardware manufacturers refused to pony up driver support but that is not Microsoft's fault. Some hardware vendors had no problem with it but some chose to not do it. Thankfully businesses running Win7Pro or higher can use XP mode for free which alleviates most of that issue.
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I hope to add to that XP reduction this year
bobiroc 2nd Aug
Last year we had maybe 10% of our total computer count running Windows 7 and this year it will be more like 75% of our total computer count.

It may be small potatoes in the grand scheme of things but based on the surrounding school districts I work closely with they are doing pretty much the same thing.
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
FrederickLeeson 2nd Aug
"While Microsoft still has around 87 percent share in the operating system market, Apple?s share is slowly but steadily rising.......................Apple?s operating system share has been steadily increasing thanks to the widely used iOS on iPhones and iPads."

So what you are saying is that even when you drop the traditional straight comparison between Mac and Windows and you include the iOS in the figures Windows *still* has as much as 87% of the total market? Unless Win8 on tablets is a bust when it comes out I do not think these figures will currently be causing panic at Redmond.
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Hey Zack, did you read your own BBC?
blind obedience 2nd Aug
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14370878

lol
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
washington.rodriguez 3rd Aug
Truly astounded by the fact that your article says: "per cent" instead of "percent". The first one means a cost for every dollar cent. The second is a mean of measurement considering the comparison among every hundred elements measured. I?m from abroad, you guys are US citizens, that must worry someone. :-8
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RE: Windows XP finally dips below 50 per cent mark
w5tvw 3rd Aug
Hasn't Bill Gates made enough money yet offering pieces of crap like Windows ME and Vista to the public? Personally, I have had fairly good luck with "XP". Who needs a totally new "OS" every few years and all the grief it takes to learn the idiosyncrasies of a new system? Change, for "change' sake" isn't very nice to the end user!.....I am presently going thru the throes if learning were everything is in Windows 7!! Why did they change the "syntax" of things? Just to "challenge" the user? Why is "contacts" more up-to-date than "address book"? Has "Political Correctness" now invaded the cyber software world? Jeeesh!

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