Advice Request Windows XP Has More Users than Windows Vista and Windows 8 Combined, Avast Says

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Exterminator

Community Manager
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Oct 23, 2012
12,527
Windows XP Has More Users than Windows Vista and Windows 8 Combined, Avast Says

Security company Avast has published global Windows usage data as part of the PC Trends Report (PDF document) for the first quarter of 2017, revealing that Windows 7 continues to lead the market with a share that’s close to 50 percent.

While it’s important to note that these figures come from computers running Avast, they do align with the statistics provided by research firms whose main activity is monitoring operating system usage, so there’s a good chance these are accurate.

First and foremost, there’s leader Windows 7. According to Avast, the operating system launched in 2009 is currently powering more than 56 million computers where its antivirus product is installed, and this means a share of no less than 48.35 percent.

Windows 10 is growing, the security firm says, and it managed to reach a share of 30.46 percent, which accounts for a little over 35 million devices running Avast security software.

Windows XP still a super-popular choice
But what’s a little more worrying for everyone, including here Microsoft, users, and Avast itself, is that Windows XP, which was launched in 2001 and no longer receives security updates since April 2014, is still running on more than 6.5 million computers. This means that it has a share of 5.64 percent, more than Windows 8 (2.51 percent) and Windows Vista (2.08 percent) combined.

Windows 8 was launched in 2012 as Microsoft’s new revolution, but its small market share is mostly the result of most people choosing the free upgrade to Windows 8.1. The OS launched one year later has a share of 10.96 percent, which represents 12.7 million PCs running Avast.

For what it’s worth, Windows Vista is also reaching end of support next month, so users who are still running this OS, and there are at least 2 million according to Avast, should already start planning the upgrade. Windows 10 is the safest bet right now, as Windows 7 itself is also projected to reach EOL in January 2020.
 

jamescv7

Level 85
Verified
Honorary Member
Mar 15, 2011
13,070
You cannot blame users why they stick to obsolete OS/software.

Sometimes it deals on sales talk and better idea, to encourage a person to switch a must reliable product.

That mentioned in the article is also same on sticking in handy phones rather on touch screen smartphones.
 

Arequire

Level 29
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Feb 10, 2017
1,814
Doesn't surprise me. I'm sure a lot of those people don't even realise XP is past its end of life date. Doesn't help that Vista was a pathetic joke of an OS and Windows 8 was such an uncomfortable departure from their previous versions and ended up getting a lot of negative press.
 
S

Sr. Normal 2.0

In fact, if I can not install W10 or W7, my doubts will always go towards XP or Linux. I never contemplate the possibility of 8.1 and Vista ... well, as a joke it has been fun, but it is more dangerous than a monkey with Parkinson playing with a bombs box :eek:
 

monkeylove

Level 10
Verified
Well-known
Mar 9, 2014
491
In my case, I found Win 8.1 much better than XP (I had to reinstall it every two years or so because of various problems) and even Win 7 (slower on the same system). I also made it look like the latter by using Classic Shell.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deletedmessiah

Deletedmessiah

Level 25
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Jan 16, 2017
1,469
In my case, I found Win 8.1 much better than XP (I had to reinstall it every two years or so because of various problems) and even Win 7 (slower on the same system). I also made it look like the latter by using Classic Shell.
Agreed. Windows 8.1 with classic shell and gestures disabled is better than Windows 7 for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sr. Normal 2.0

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
It should be no surprise.. Windows Vista and 8 are the skipped editions. A lot of people's computer hardware running XP weren't able to handle the requirements of Windows Vista. Users downgraded. Windows 8 was a huge leap from 7 in terms of everything they know and love. Users downgraded.

Currently, Windows 10 Pro users can Defer major updates for a limited time, before they never to upgrade builds.

@Dhruv2193 Windows XP is not supported and therefore no longer reliable or safe to use. It's also 16 it ears behind with current tech.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Winter Soldier
Status
Not open for further replies.

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top