Windows 7 is finally being abandoned if new stats are anything to go by, with its userbase practically cut in half following support for the OS being completely discontinued – and of course the end-of-life being reached for Windows 8.1, which similarly saw its user numbers cut in half.
This is according to Statcounter’s figures for February, which show that Windows 7 market share (among all Windows versions globally) has dropped from 9.55% to 5.39%, a huge slide. Windows 8.1 similarly halved from 2.28% to 1.15%.
As Windows 8.1 isn’t getting an ESU programme, effectively both Windows 7 and 8/8.1 are finally and completely on the scrapheap regarding security updates, so it’s no longer safe to run them. And with February’s figures, we’re seeing the results of that quite clearly indeed.
Analysis: A long slow goodbye, most likely
You could say that this was predictable enough, given that all support and security updates are now out of the window (sorry) for both of these outdated Microsoft operating systems – but not really.
Folks are prone to staying with a favorite OS even past its security sell-by-date, and if ever there was a testament to that, it’s Windows XP. If you recall, Windows XP still held a 10% market share two years after it ran out of road for support (15 years after the OS first arrived).
Indeed, there were still XP users in evidence (a small but meaningful amount – just over half a percent) when it turned 20-years-old, can you believe? This is why Windows XP became known as the OS that refused to die.
It doesn’t look like Windows 7 will be pulling similar levels of longevity, given this February plunge. Although we do expect that erosion of its share will slow down considerably after the initial defection has taken place.
Of course, bear in mind that this is just one set of figures on desktop operating systems, so we mustn’t get too carried away with drawing conclusions – though this is such a strong indication, you’d be hard pressed not to read something substantial into it.
Via Neowin