back to article Windows 10 claimed another point of desktop share in February

Windows 10 is still growing, but its rate of growth has flattened to about one per cent of market share per month. El Reg makes that assertion on the basis of our monthly look at three sources of data: the ratings firms Netmarketshare and StatCounter, plus the US government's analytics dump of 90 days of windows-sourced …

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  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Windows 7 is most-used OS then

    Windows 1 0 is slowly taking from 7, but Vista and XP are neck-to-neck at the bottom of the race. 8 is all coked up in disappointment and going nowhere fast.

    If that continues, then 1 0 might actually overtake 7 by the time it is EOL'd. That would be fun to watch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Windows 7 is most-used OS then

      Whats with the 1<SPACE>0 thing? Is that meant to mean something? A meme you picked up on a snarky site somewhere?

  2. Timmy B

    Whaaatt?

    That's an odd way of looking at it. Just traffic to US government web sites? Not really a lot of interest to the rest of the world. Also the drops seem to be roughly the same across all versions of Windows with 7 having possibly the largest drop. Seems like a bit of a non-story really.

    1. Paul Shirley

      Re: Whaaatt?

      Can only work with the available data. If there an equivalent covering more of the world I'm sure the vulture want to know. I'd like to see a few more tends yanked out of it, like the Windows (all versions) share trend, currently only 52%.

      1. Timmy B

        Re: Whaaatt?

        Sorry but that doesn't work. If the only available data was for internet activity going into and out of my house then it would all be Windows 10. But just my house isn't a sensible measure to use so anybody using it would be daft. GIGO.........

      2. Charlie Clark Silver badge

        Re: Whaaatt?

        If there an equivalent covering more of the world I'm sure the vulture want to know.

        What? You mean like Akamai's Internet Observatory?

        Mentioned it several times to no effect. Probably because you can't just cut & paste the data into a spreadsheet.

    2. Naselus

      Re: Whaaatt?

      "That's an odd way of looking at it. Just traffic to US government web sites?"

      That would be a very odd way of looking at it, which is why they take the data from 3 separate sources for the bigger picture. Netmarketshare and statscounter use different methodologies. The .gov visits is basically just an anecdotal trend watching thing.

      1. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: Whaaatt?

        It would be interesting to see if US gov website traffic profile also shows up in the detailed (and unpublished) Netmarketshare and statscounter data.

  3. AMBxx Silver badge
    Windows

    Windows Server?

    Anyone know why Server 2003 is included, but not the more recent releases? Do they masquerade as a desktop OS, or is the data so limited, that one hobbyist has entered the stats on his own?

    1. Halfmad

      Re: Windows Server?

      Probably as 2003 is EOL already isn't it? Doesn't really make sense when not including Server 2008 etc though.

      1. tsf

        Re: Windows Server?

        Probably XP64, not actually windows server 2003

    2. Naselus

      Re: Windows Server?

      Think it's an element of 'jesus christ, look how many people are still using a defunct OS that's older than some high school kids'

    3. Adam Inistrator

      Re: Windows Server?

      "Anyone know why Server 2003 is included, but not the more recent releases? Do they masquerade as a desktop OS, or is the data so limited, that one hobbyist has entered the stats on his own?"

      because IE's "user agent" string identifies itself as running on 2003 but running on server 2008 and Vista cannot be distinguished ... so the Vista numbers will be including Server 2008.

      I guess the vertical axis is labelled wrong. It should be market share FRACTION, not percentage

  4. bombastic bob Silver badge

    How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft?

    It wasn't that long ago that Microsoft re-classified their GWX update KB3035583 as "Important" and made it show up AGAIN in my Windows Update list o' things I need to approve before installing. I had to mark it "Hidden" *YET* *AGAIN*.

    Pushy Pushy Microsoft, SHOVING Windows 10 up/into/down whatever orifice they can find, and yet... only a 1% growth in the last month?

    So, how's that FORCE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT or UP SOMEPLACE ELSE policy working out, there, Microsoft? I'd say it's *NOT* !!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft?

      So you're saying that Windows 10 would have a bigger marketshare by now if there was no GWX. What the hell have you been smoking / injecting?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft?

        Well, judging by the downvotes people actually believe that without the GWX updater Windows 10 would have a bigger marketshare by now.

        Some of you guys are pretty deranged or really think that downvoting that post really makes it untrue. Really sad.

      2. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Re: How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft?

        So you're saying that Windows 10 would have a bigger marketshare by now if there was no GWX. What the hell have you been smoking / injecting?

        Certainly true in the Git's household. I had no machines running Linux prior to MS using up all of my mobile data and most of my FW data to push seven redundant copies of W10 onto my four W7 machines.

        Now there are three machines running Cinnamon Mint and shortly there will be four as Mrs Git has announced that she too would prefer Linux to the W7 that hitherto she was more than happy with. It's entirely conceivable that if the bugs that prevented W10 from being usable have been let out since last winter that some of those four machines would be running W10.

        I suspect that it's you who have been smoking/injecting nefarious substances.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft? @Git

          True for you then.

          For the general public -- non-tech people who'll never venture into this website -- GWX has most likely just updated their computers.

          I use Linux as well, but I have no problem accepting that the GWX system has updated plenty of people into W10 whether they wanted it or not, or whether they even liked the upgrade or not.

          I myself hate the GWX system in its current incarnation because of the sly methods and the background data usage you mentioned.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: How's that "GWX shoving" working out, Microsoft?

          Hey! Gather round everybody. Another "we've left windows for Linux" story on the register!

          a) no-one cares

          b) this is hardly representative of the real world, or win10 wouldn't gain more share per month than Linux (desktop) has gained ever

          c) no-one cares

  5. Dwarf

    Forced upgrades distort stats

    Given that the way this has been done is via a forced upgrade, then it follows that he easy ones have already been "upgraded" *, so the adoption rate will presumably drop off sharply as people flee to other vendors offerings or dig in with the OS versions that they are happy with / need

    * if you believe that 10 is actually an upgrade

    1. Timmy B

      Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

      It is NOT a forced upgrade. If somebody asks you if you want some free cake then it's not forced cake. You don't have to take it. Equally is somebody offers to punch you in the face for free it's not a forced beating. You can reject it.

      Every time somebody says this I ask for a concrete example of somebody having Windows 10 installed without their permission. It may be permission out of stupidity - clicking on a button where you don't read the details - but that's still permission.

      <sigh>

      1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        clicking on a button where you don't read the details

        That would be the button that says "click here to upgrade", where there is no button that says "No, thanks" ? Sure, if you know enough to realise that closing the window acts as "not now, nag me again later" you could argue that it's not forced, but without a "Just STFU and leave me alone" button it most certainly does seem like a forced upgrade to must of its victims.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        It may not be truly forced but it feels like someone is knocking on your door everyday offering to punch you in the face and even when you take many steps like removing your doorbell and knocker they still come and offer you that punch. They even give you face cream for windows 7 that makes you feel like they have already punched you in the face or are getting ready to punch you regardless of whether you want to be punched in the face.

        You may be able to dodge the punch for now but eventually you will get punched in the face.

      3. Captain Badmouth
        Gimp

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        "It is NOT a forced upgrade"

        Yeh, right, short memories some people have.

        http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/15/pushy_windows_10/

        I stopped the bastards installing 10 on my daughter's pc just in time last October.

        Yes, of course, it was a mistake.

        1. Timmy B

          Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

          If you stopped it then it's not forced. All of the pcs I have updated I specifically chose to update. The way people are acting and speaking you'd think that they just turned on their pcs and "wallop" there's windows 10.

          1. Captain Badmouth
            Windows

            Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

            @ Timmy fanboy

            It would have been the case with my daughter's pc if I hadn't been there to stop it. How do you justify that, fanboy?

          2. Pompous Git Silver badge

            Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

            The way people are acting and speaking you'd think that they just turned on their pcs and "wallop" there's windows 10.

            That is indeed what happened. Several gigabytes of bandwidth and SSD space used up. MS claimed it was "for my convenience". Having to purchase an additional block of mobile data was far from "convenient". After deleting the redundant files MS changed the name of the updater that "conveniently" managed to use up most of my FW bandwidth thus rendering that service shaped to 256 k for three weeks. And the SSD space was reoccupied. All without my permission! My god there are some stupid fuckers in this world!

          3. Roland6 Silver badge

            Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

            @Timmy B - "If you stopped it then it's not forced. All of the pcs I have updated I specifically chose to update. The way people are acting and speaking you'd think that they just turned on their pcs and "wallop" there's windows 10."

            What a sheltered life you lead...

            I've just had, once again, GWX Control Panel flag that one of the non-descript Win7 updates (ie. one with the typical MS disinformation stated purpose) installed and has changed MY settings to ALLOW "Automatic install of Win10 updates". I would describe that as forced, regardless of whether or not at some future date MS give me a choice to actually update to Win10.

            But as we already know because MS now regard Win10 as a important update to Win7/8, it is only a matter of time before they perform the same trick as they did with the Win8->8.1 update and forced it upon Win8 users. Yes it was forced - it borked 2 laptops and a third was 'saved' because it happened in my presence and hence I could intervene and nurse it through the traumatic upgrade.

            I've also seen instances where the user had Win7/8 x64 install and been auto upgraded to Win10 x32 for reasons win10 doesn't report...

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

              Just wondering:

              If MS is force upgrading every windows pc, and it is only the quick intervention of you geniuses that can prevent it, then why is win10 only growing at the rate of 1% per month?

              Is everyone blocking those updates?

              Are they going to win10, and then being reverted back in time for the next survey?

              Or are you a bunch of whining OSS fucktards that need excuses to pretend that win10 is the outright failure you predicted it to be and is heading for oblivion?

              1. Timmy B

                Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

                Exactly.

                If it was forced then why aren't all Windows 7 and 8 PCs now running 10? Or 50% or 25%?

              2. Roland6 Silver badge

                Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

                If MS is force upgrading every windows pc, and it is only the quick intervention of you geniuses that can prevent it, then why is win10 only growing at the rate of 1% per month?

                From what I've seen of the way GWX works, if you leave it alone it quietly installs and goes about it's business of analysing the system, creating an archive nd downloading Win10 etc. this seems to take some time and is controlled by daily polls to the MS Store.

                So my expectation is that it is the daily polls and the differing responses given that largely determine the rate at which any particular system reaches the "ready for upgrade" point. There is also a user variable in that how they dismiss the Windows "limited time free upgrade" prompts that also plays a role.

                The growth rate can be put down to MS finessing stuff at their end - I certainly will not be surprised if this summer MS announces that Win10 is the supported update to Win7/8 (ie. equivalent to a Service Pack), just as they did with the Win8->8.1 update. As someone else has observed, what will be critical in assessing the success of Win10 will be the change in installed base this coming year.

                As for Win10 being an outright failure, well MS are doing a good job at trying - Got a Win10 system (auto updated from Win7) where the auto updater has applied an update that has caused a critical error that Win10 is unable to recover from - the MS recommended solution: re-install Win10 and applications...

                This is 2016, there is no real reason why the Win10 auto updater on completion of the update can't create a full recovery image of itself, particularly given it (sort of) creates a pre-updated recovery image in the Windows.Old folder.

                1. azaks

                  Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

                  >> There is also a user variable in that how they dismiss the Windows "limited time free upgrade" prompts that also plays a role.

                  So its not a forced upgrade then? I wish you folks would make up your minds.

                  >> The growth rate can be put down to MS finessing stuff at their end - I certainly will not be surprised if this summer MS announces that Win10 is the supported update to Win7/8 (ie. equivalent to a Service Pack), just as they did with the Win8->8.1 update

                  Why are you mixing current growth rate with what may or may not happen in the future? Whether they do this or not (which is pure speculation on your part), they are committed to providing updates for the published support lifecycle of those products. A service pack is just a rollup of individual updates - its hardly a gun to the head to upgrade the OS (and btw - XPs last SP was in 2008 and that hardly triggered a mass exodus)

                  >> As someone else has observed, what will be critical in assessing the success of Win10 will be the change in installed base this coming year

                  Your assuming that non-technical people give a shit what version of OS they are running. I think the vast majority of those update their OS when they get new hardware.

      4. Mark 85

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        It is NOT a forced upgrade

        Not forced... hmmm.... They pushed it out to everyone without asking and popped up a nagware button. I believe the button now says something like "upgrade now or tonight?". Right, so it's more like walking down the street and suddenly someone runs out of a building yelling "I can punch you now or punch you later but you will get punched.

        I do believe "forced" is maybe too harsh a word... maybe "blindsiding"? Unethical? Sleazy? in the "we'll just slide this in here under the door and see if they catch us and toss it to the curb". Many didn't catch it. Many don't care. There's too many who have caught it and keep tossing it to the curb.

      5. Captain Badmouth
        Coat

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        Well Mr. Mallett, I've given you an example of how I stopped a forced win10 installation - it would have gone ahead if I hadn't been watching. The only stupidity involved is in your post.

        How about a retraction ? - and I don't mean play with yourself.

        Mine's the one with GWXcontrolpanel.exe on a flashdisk in the pocket.

      6. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        Every time somebody says this I ask for a concrete example of somebody having Windows 10 installed without their permission.

        I most certainly did not give MS permission to download another seven copies of W10 onto my machines! I'm not a complete fucking moron. I only needed one copy from which I made a bootable USB stick as per MS advice. MS seem to think they own my bandwidth and space on my SSDs. They don't!

      7. Captain DaFt

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        "If somebody asks you if you want some free cake then it's not forced cake. You don't have to take it. "

        But if they keep knocking on your door everyday asking,"Now?", and leaving one on your doorstep in a FedEx box, or sticking it in your mailbox in a UPS box daily when you're not looking, labeling it, "Open Now, Important!".

        Would that count as forced cake? If not, it'd at least be a major PITA.

      8. BitDr

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        Clicking on a button to give permission and not understanding the details is a stupid thing to do, yes. Signing ANY legal document without understanding what you are getting yourself into is a stupid thing to do. Creating an EULA that people need to be run past a lawyer before agreeing to its terms is also a stupid thing to do.

        Rule of thumb: If the wording of the EULA is overly complex then they are trying to screw you.

        Microsoft is telling people that Windows 10 is going to be installed by asking them if they want it now or later.

      9. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Forced upgrades distort stats

        Gotta love the number of down votes on that simple truth :-)

        I wonder if they put "Linux/OSS" as a religion choice on the next census, what % that would make up...

  6. Roger Greenwood

    1% rise is a jump?

    More of a crawl in my world.

    1. Halfmad

      Re: 1% rise is a jump?

      More interesting tbh is the fact Windows 7 share has dropped, I use 10 at home (along with Linux) and it's fine - but at work we're still very much on Win7 and have no intention of moving for several years.

      Not so much an anti-Windows 10 thing as concerns around legacy apps etc.

    2. Naselus

      Re: 1% rise is a jump?

      1% is about half the total number of users of all versions of Linux combined, or about 1/5th of all Mac OSX users combined.

      So while 1% doesn't sound much, for 1 month it's a pretty good score. Win 10 is approaching 20% penetration before most businesses are ready for refresh. I don't think anyone at MS is going to be overly upset with the rate of progress tbh.

      1. Captain DaFt

        Re: 1% rise is a jump?

        "1% is about half the total number of users of all versions of Linux combined,"

        Hmm, Sez here that Linux use is 5.6% as of last month, putting it ahead of Chrome OS, WinXP, and Vista combined, by more than 2X. It's even a bit higher than all mobile OSs combined. (5.2%)

        Thanks for the help Microsoft, keep on pushing!

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: 1% rise is a jump?

          great analysis - so the number of people visiting a web developers resource is representative of the computer-using population then?. Its there in black and white you numpty - scroll down to the heading that says "Statistics Can Be Misleading"

        2. Timmy B

          Re: 1% rise is a jump?

          Yes but if you look for a fairly fixed 1% increase in Linux usage you have to compare 2015 back to 2010. So Linux has increased 1% in five years. Windows 10 seems to be doing that every month....

          Though the interesting thing I found is that overall Windows, Mac and Linux percentage of share doesn't really alter that much so I thing we're more in a state of balance. Me - I'd rather see a more equal split as I think a diverse, competing but compatible OS ecosystem would be nice. I'd like the chance to take a Linux app I like and *easily* install it on Windows, or a Mac, etc.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So Slurp OS V1.0 is a fantastic success then?

    If it was then why is it not appearing on everyone's PC then? We are now more than 6 months since its release. Shirley, it should have a wider use than this by now.

    Slurp OS V1.0 === Windows 10 (IMHO)

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Traffic counts cant tell you

    How many of those people actually LIKE Win10, or how many are just unable to figure out how to upgrade back to Win7 after a sneaky M$ upgrade.

    Before the stampede of people saying "It is easy to go back", please remember I am talking about the users who dont know where the "Any Key" key is.

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      Re: Traffic counts cant tell you

      how many are just unable to figure out how to upgrade back to Win7 after a sneaky M$ upgrade

      After the entirely voluntary initial install of W10 all those months ago, the test computer became unstable. W10 said graphics issues of some sort; I don't recall the exact details. Consequently I decided to roll back to W7. The machine slowed to a crawl with delays of up to several minutes following a command. It's possible that this was being caused by my being shaped to 256 kB/s, but a fresh install of W7 fixed the problem.

      Then I downloaded and installed Cinnamon Mint whose creators seem to have no interest in forcing me to purchase more Internet bandwidth for no discernible rational purpose.

  9. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    I'd like to see a statistic like this based on a traffic count for El Reg. But I absolutely insist on pie charts.

    1. AceRimmer
    2. Loud Speaker

      I absolutely insist on pie charts.

      Damned right - make that steak and kidney pie charts. With real ale.

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