Windows Drops Below 90-Percent Market Share

Microsoft's market share for Windows has dropped below 90% for the first time in … quite some time.

You will have to go deep into the history books of desktop computing to find market share numbers of desktop operating systems, but it appears that the last time Microsoft was at about 90% was somewhere around 1990, when Windows 3.0 was introduced.

According to Net Applications, the main reason for the decline of Windows (down to 89.7%) is the rise of iOS, which is now at 2.05% - and argument that, of course, only applies if you agree to consider iOS as a desktop OS. Mac OS X keeps gaining, but is still in the 5% range (5.25%) and Linux holds the just-under-1% mark (0.95%).

In a certain way, you could argue that Microsoft has a problem, despite its stellar Windows 7 sales. Windows 7 is now at 22.31%, up 1.44 points from December. However, XP and Vista are losing share faster than Windows 7 can gain (XP is down to 55.26% and Vista down to 11.66%). The scenario may be a bit distorted because of the inclusion of iOS in the statistic, but there is surely a trend that should make Microsoft think. There was a time when IE dropped below 90% market share and Microsoft now has to find creative ways not to lose the 50% bar.

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There are 70 Comments.

Top Comments

24

zachary k , February 4, 2011 3:41 AM

iOS? thats not a real OS.
23

JE_D , February 4, 2011 3:45 AM

I want to be able to:
1. Run any hardware
2. Have inexpensive upgrade options
3. Play any Game
4. DO WHATEVER THE F*** I want to do on my Computer.

To me: Windows is the only OS that fulfills my requirements.

Regarding IE:
There are no real repercussions for using a different browser.(eg. Firefox, Chrome)
that is why IE lost so much market share.
So saying that IE market share might have anything to do with the Windows OS Market share is absurd
19

bavman , February 4, 2011 3:54 AM

i dont think mobile platforms should be considered in this

Other Comments

2

ben BOys , February 4, 2011 3:34 AM

Lucky thing the number of PC users have gone up otherwise this would be a terrible statistic
8

JeanLuc , February 4, 2011 3:39 AM

Including mobile numbers is fine just so long as it includes Windows mobile, CS versions as well (which don't seem to be listed which is silly given how much of the mobile market Microsoft eats up which is about a third) after all this is OS market share isn't it not just desktop market share?

I think in the next ten years you will see Google start to eat into Microsoft's market share and this is something Microsoft recognises since Windows 8 will have a non x86 based version Windows to compete with Google.
24

zachary k , February 4, 2011 3:41 AM

iOS? thats not a real OS.
23

JE_D , February 4, 2011 3:45 AM

I want to be able to:
1. Run any hardware
2. Have inexpensive upgrade options
3. Play any Game
4. DO WHATEVER THE F*** I want to do on my Computer.

To me: Windows is the only OS that fulfills my requirements.

Regarding IE:
There are no real repercussions for using a different browser.(eg. Firefox, Chrome)
that is why IE lost so much market share.
So saying that IE market share might have anything to do with the Windows OS Market share is absurd
19

bavman , February 4, 2011 3:54 AM

i dont think mobile platforms should be considered in this
12

samely , February 4, 2011 3:56 AM

Well, this was bound to happen the moment smartphone OSs entered the "market share" discussion. I'd like to see a breakdown of the "Other" to see if Blackberries and other smartphones are in there.

If those aren't included, then bullshit like iOS and Android shouldn't be.
7

kitsura , February 4, 2011 3:56 AM

If this is a Desktop report then really, I would like the authors of this study to link specifically the model numbers of the products that use IOS and nearly half of the other operating systems (when you view the source material) in desktop configurations.
What a biased and completely incorrect report. Net Applications has confirmed itself a joke group.
-5

wiyosaya , February 4, 2011 3:56 AM

Implying that Microsoft would think is an oxymoron.
5

NightLight , February 4, 2011 4:04 AM

89% is still a good grade imho! I can never imagine this number dropping below 70%.
7

THE_Ted , February 4, 2011 4:04 AM

Oy Vey...why is our definition of success in America so god damn wacky? How can anyone possibly consider 88% market share a problem? Why is the decline of any and every company that has reached the ultimate pinnacle of success not seen as inevitable, natural, and honorable?
8

megamanx00 , February 4, 2011 4:05 AM

iOS? Seriously? WTF?

Poor Linux. Under 1% is just sad . Of course, if Andriod makes some gains you could consider that linux ^_^
-6

anonymous@guest , February 4, 2011 4:06 AM

Lol

Just Business Microcrap's O.S. share will start to drop quicker now.
The OS's Google, Ubuntu and MAC OS's of the world will jut take more of the pie.
1

jmchien , February 4, 2011 4:17 AM

Just to be clear other mobile OS's were also included (according to the pie chart) so not just iOS... I don't think MS has any immediate worries
2

iam2thecrowe , February 4, 2011 4:19 AM

c'mon... iOS? i think this should be strictly desktop OS comparison. Most people that have a device with iOS will probably have a windows PC also.
6

Sabiancym , February 4, 2011 4:20 AM

Now let's look at market share among users who actually know how to do more than click icons on a desktop.

Windows - 98%
Linux 2%
2

anonymous@guest , February 4, 2011 4:24 AM

If iOS is included, why not include Androidd in the rankings? Oh wait, neither are desktop operating systems...
1

anonymous@guest , February 4, 2011 4:27 AM

oh lol so ios and android are desktop OSes ? and what is macos? a mobile OS ? seems like a statistic pulled out of the a...e of some apple fanboi.

it's sad seeing in tom's hardware such stretched "statistics". it gives a bad name to maths and statistics
-1

pelov , February 4, 2011 4:37 AM

megamanx00iOS? Seriously? WTF?Poor Linux. Under 1% is just sad . Of course, if Andriod makes some gains you could consider that linux ^_^

Yea. I was thinking the same. Wouldn't Android just be thrown in with Linux?

Either way it's good news! Maybe we'll get developers to start making games for Linux. And I'm mainly saying games as running stuff thru WINE is hit or miss. In terms of the applications that you need on a daily basis you'll almost always find a free open source version of them for your particular linux distro. Gaming is currently the only reason I boot up windows nowadays.

I think younger and more advanced users are realizing, albeit slowly, that there's really no need to stick to windows as your only OS when there's so many different options out there that can satisfy such a huge portion of PC-users. Some of them are free and most are more stable =P
6

opmopadop , February 4, 2011 4:45 AM

Wikipedia "iOS (Apple)" :

Quote:
Originally developed for the iPhone, it has since been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV. Apple does not license iOS for installation on third-party hardware.

Do any of those sound like a Desktop?
1

cookoy , February 4, 2011 5:05 AM

if mobile OSs are also included, what about Symbian? isn't Android a Linux derivative? whatever, microsoft hold on the OS world is diminishing but it is still the dominant player today.

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Windows Drops Below 90-Percent Market Share

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