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Is Windows XP set to be toppled anytime soon?

It’s been with us nearly a decade, with no sign of disappearing just yet. So why is Windows XP still going strong, and what can Microsoft do next?

By Simon Brew, 28 Jun 2010 at 12:12

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The sure sign that Microsoft had struggled to enthuse the market about its Windows Vista operating system, years after it was originally released, was the staggeringly high usage figures for Windows XP.

Even today, nearly nine years after it was officially launched, Windows XP remains the world’s most used operating system on a day-to-day basis. MarketShare reports that Windows overall is still accounting for 91 per cent of the market, but subdivided into versions, and Windows XP seems to have an iron-like grip.

According to figures issued at the start of June, Windows XP is now accounting for 62.55 per cent of operating system usage. To set that against later iterations of the operating system, Windows Vista sits at 15.25 per cent, Windows 7 at 12.68 per cent and next up is MacOS X 10.6 at 2.34 per cent.

Migration

Microsoft is understandably keen to ensure that users migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 (an upgrade that involves a reformat of a machine), but in spite of the success of the launch of the latter version of its OS late last year, Windows 7 is still a long, long way behind.

There are several reasons why, of course. Firstly, Microsoft hardly helped drain away XP users with its stance on the netbook market, where it was seemingly slow to react and adapt its Windows OS to take advantage of this burgeoning sector of portable computer sales.

As such, at the point major manufacturers started offering netbooks with Linux operating systems, the best Microsoft could do was scramble Windows XP, given that Windows Vista was realistically too bloated to sit on such a modest machine. From a short-term strategic standpoint, this turned out to be a wise move, as Microsoft arrested the interest in Linux on such machines and established itself as the lead operating system provide to netbooks. But it also added more numbers and market share to a product that it had been trying to phase out for years. It also meant that is had to continue supporting it for years to come.

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7 comments

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Let's face it - it just works

I can't say I'm in the least surprised by this finding. I use Vista on my main machine, and I've just upgraded a couple of office machines to Windows 7. And they're all okay - though Windows 7 isn't anything like as different from Vista as certain hyperbolic reports suggest. I've got no major issues with Microsoft's latest, but recently I acquired a nice little netbook (Asus 1101HA, for info), and you know what? Working with the latest version of WinXP is a genuine pleasure. The interface is clear, simple and familiar. Networking is snappy (much snappier and more reliable than either of the later operating systems, especially with SMB servers); oh, and it goes to sleep properly too (that's a first, in my experience). I find myself opening my little netbook with a glow of pleasure, due mainly to the fact that I know it'll "just work". A colleague observed something interesting the other day. She said that my swearword quotient is markedly higher when I'm working on my Vista-powered desktop replacement than when I'm working on the netbook. Now that's partly down to the fact that I run all my complex, sophisticated (and temperamental) software on the larger machine; but as an informal observation, it's quite intriguing...

By Reddibrek on Tuesday Jun 29

It does what we need

Microsoft (and other software companies) are in a real bind as the average user doesn't need - or want - more and mmore features. What they want is a straightforward OS that dioesn't crash, and that they have learned to use. Can you imagine a world in which each incoming Government changed the language so that everyone would have to re-learn it? I doubt that many people would vote for a change of Government then, and it's just the same for PC operating system. Reddibrek is right too about xp on netbooks: it loads very much faster than either my XP Pro on my office desktop, or XP Home on my home machine. In fact it has shown us what XP should have been like all along... Of course what scares me is what comes next. I still use DOS applications that I have invested many man-months in writing and have no intention of junking for a GUI. So Windows 7 had better run them OK, or else!

By Petrolmaps on Tuesday Jun 29

Operating systems should be boring

In my spare time I care about what OS I'm using - but that's playtime. When I'm working I couldn't give a flying wotsit about the OS - so long as I have access to the applications I need and the computer doesn't crash I could be using CPM for all I care. People use applications on computers. Operating systems exist to allow applications to run in an efficient manner. Windows XP does this, with few crashes and without hogging too many system resources. Is it any wonder people are reluctant to change?

By ColinDente on Friday Jul 2

@Petrolmaps

I Could Not Have Said It Better Myself. My Worries About My Dos Work Are Exactly The Same.

By A41202813GMAILCOM on Sunday Jul 4

pricey OS

I purchased windows vista only to find out they were going to bring out windows 7 1 year later. if microsoft wants me to migrate to 7 they will have to greatly reduce the price. If not then the next OS I install will be either google chrome or Ubuntu.

By Buds_Wiser on Tuesday Jul 13

I don't want to change

I'm more than happy with XP - I have a website that uses a programme which will not work on any OS after XP ...I can use the programme easily and wouldn't want to try and build a new site with a new programme ...wouldn't know where to start to be honest, and have no time to spare for such a problem. I paid for XP, paid for my website programme - both work extremely well and I just don't want the expense and hassle of changing. If MS want me to change, perhaps they'll tell me which programme works in a similar way, build me a new site on it, and then show me how to use it.

By McColl on Thursday Jul 15

Netbooks anyone?

So how much Windows 7 can you get on a netbook? I have a Samsung NC10 & slung XP off to install Ubuntu, which is faster & trouble-free. (Incidentally, I could not get a discount for my Windows: in any other field, this would be illegal). I can understand grockles being 'happy' with XP but I gather Microsoft have forbidden a change to the netbook spec.How can they? A netbook with a 1024x768 screen would be an iPad killer. What is Microsoft's business plan for little machines? They need one that makes sense. My Samsung complements my MacBook Pro (which has OS X & XP on it).

By KenBaldry on Tuesday Aug 24