Vista hits 30% share while some XP users go Mac
updated 11:45 am EDT, Mon March 23, 2009
Vista at 30pc Market Share
Microsoft's Windows Vista has finally crossed the 30 percent mark in share this week, according to StatCounter data. The milestone came more than two years after the operating system was released and at the expense of Windows XP, which has dipped below 58 percent at the same time. Both Microsoft platforms have had similar growth curves over the first several weeks of 2009 and show that most new adoptees of Vista are those trading up from older Windows PCs.
The data is evidence that Vista is finally gaining "consistent traction" in the US, StatCounter chief Aodhan Cullen said. He nonetheless warns that the very slow progression and day-to-day usage behavior also indicated much stiffer resistance to Vista in business; Vista use has gone up each weekend while XP use has been highest during the week.
However, XP has lost share more quickly than Vista has gained share, and Cullen noted that most of those who didn't move from XP to Vista were most likely to have dropped Windows in favor of Mac OS X. Apple has seen rapid growth in the past two months and grew from just over 6.6 percent share in January to 8.3 percent in mid-March. Linux has remained virtually unchanged over the same period at about 0.6 percent.
Why Apple has enjoyed the sudden if modest success isn't addressed by the researchers, though existing home user resistance to Vista has been widely interpreted as driving Windows users to Macs.
Microsoft's gain is also expected to be short-lived, as Windows 7 may launch as early as September and replace Vista outright in the US market.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Operating System Market Share
LOL
03/23, 01:06pm reply
And I thought Ballmer stated the tide turning in Windows favor....lol He's an absolute idiot.
scotte75ky
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Joined: Jan 2008
It isn't traction
03/23, 01:08pm reply
It isn't traction if you don't have a choice. The fact that Microsoft doesn't want XP available anymore forces people to buy their new computer with Vista. I would have liked to see the "traction" if XP was still an option.
jdonahoe
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Joined: Jul 2006
Most forced to get Vista
03/23, 01:16pm reply
Most forced to get Vista when purchasing a new PC. The data is faulty, and like jdonahoe says, if XP was still an option, the outcome would be much less.
And I also agree with Fresh-Faced Recruit, Ballmer is an IDIOT!!!!
b9robot
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Joined: Feb 2009
The Issue
03/23, 01:54pm reply
The issue to me, is not about Vista adoption, but about total Windows adoption. Macs are gaining, but it is painfully slow compared to whatever Windows does - up or down. I think where MS may have problems is that anyone finally buying into Vista will want to wait a bit before buying into Windows7. Yet for Apple, it is about doing better than all Windows versions, not just Vista.
Apple obviously has finally gotten Macs to a sustainable level and double digits is pretty much there - 15 % will be a nice critical mass for the developer market. But that graph shows how small Macs still are, at least in the overall market.
I'd also like to see the graph for consumers w/o business added.
MacnnChester
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Joined: Jun 2007
forced
03/23, 01:55pm (3 replies) reply
And you're forced to get Leopard if you get a new Mac. What's your point? That MS isn't offering their 7 year old OS anymore as an option. Man, this would be like Mac users whining about not getting OS 9 anymore.
Oh, wait, we still do that, don't we...
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
@testudo
03/23, 02:16pm reply
The point they are making is simple. Vista usage up.. Vista is the only OS you can buy with new PC's. so as new PC's are sold, Vista's usage goes up.
so if it is the only OS available to 95% of the public, then the article is not completely accurate in saying that Vista is "gaining traction". it's simply selling because there is no option.
and your Leopard/Tiger argument has nothing to do with it since the article doesn't say that Leopard is gaining traction...
eldarkus
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Joined: Feb 2004
endangered species
03/23, 03:10pm reply
The critical question that everyone should be asking is - What on Earth is Apple going to do when they run out of feline codenames?? Is using an almost-extinct animal like Snow Leopard a signal of their future plans?
carloblackmore
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Joined: Dec 2005
Plenty of cats
03/23, 04:46pm reply
How about:
Cougar
Ocelot
Lynx
Bobcat
Serval
Oncilla
Lion
That would take us to 10.13 (or 11.3, if we disallow double-digits after first point). In other words, we're good for the next 14 years or so (assuming new cat every two years).
vasic
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Joined: May 2005
this must be the undertow
03/23, 05:29pm reply
I guess Balmer was stats were correct but he was talking about Windows.
kerryb
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: Plenty of cats
03/23, 07:09pm reply
How about calling one p****?
chucker
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Joined: Mar 2007