It’s less than a week before Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows XP, but it doesn’t look like Microsoft’s attempts to get people off the operating system has made a significant impact. NetMarketshare just released the latest data on operating system market shares, which only goes to show that the outdated operating system really is still close to the hearts of users.
The report shows that Windows definitely dominates the market, as we all know. At 90.94%, that pretty much leaves everyone else eating Windows’s dust.

When it comes to the various flavors of Windows, however, Windows XP holds a significant 27.69% market share. Windows dominates with 48.77%, followed (far behind) by Windows 8 (6.41%), Windows 8.1 (4.89%), and Windows Vista (2.99%). I wonder who still uses Windows Vista???
Those shares are not that surprising at all, but what’s interesting is the growth of each the operating systems. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have grown, collectively, at 0.62 percentage points. If you look at them individually, though, Windows 8 practically has no growth with 0.03 percentage points, while Windows 8.1 has 0.59 percentage points.
Here’s the zinger: Windows 7 has outperformed everyone else with a 1.46 rise in percentage points.


Considering that it has only been five months since Windows 8.1 was released, one could argue that the numbers could change in its favor this year, especially since its growth has been steady, albeit slow. Additionally, we cannot ignore the rumors that Microsoft is working on a free version of Windows 8.1, and if that comes to fruition, the operating system’s adoption rate will in all likelihood grow even more. After all, everyone likes a free deal, yeah?
As can be expected, Windows Vista’s share has dropped, and while the “say bye to Windows XP” campaign may not have been as successful as Microsoft has hoped, the operating system has dropped by 1.84 percentage points.
Which version of Windows are you using? Why?