Windows 10 is now the most used desktop operating system in North America and Northern Europe

While news of Windows 10’s steady advances towards Microsoft’s hefty ambition of a billion devices are abound, they only focus on the numbers and not the situation of Windows 10 distribution around the world. For that kind of big picture we have to rely on metrics site like StatCounter. whose newest desktop operating system usage stats, noted by Microsoft employee @dstorey, shows some encouraging development in key markets for Microsoft’s ultimate OS.

Specifically, Windows 10 is reported topping the usage chart for North America. The operating system has surpassed its three-generation-behind predecessor and in some sense biggest competitor, Windows 7, in the region, albeit by a very slim margin. Zooming a bit closer, the reason for this might be a similar dethroning in the US, where Windows 10 is now used more than Windows 7 by almost 1%, at 28.82% share of the market.

Over “downunder” in Oceania, Windows 10 has a much more significant lead of almost 5% marketshare. While a bit exaggerated in its presentation, the map view of the usage statistics gives us a pretty clear idea why. One word: Australia. The country’s seems pretty taken with Windows 10, with nearly 30% of market share. Interestingly, Windows 7 is only at third place here, as OSX seems to have somehow taken the second spot in usage ranking, prompting assumption that Australian consumers may have a bit more money to spend than their fellow humans. Nevertheless,  the fact that Windows 10 is still leading in such an Apple-entrenched market can only be a good sign.

While Windows 10 has not achieved market dominance in the whole of Europe yet (that number one spot still belongs to Windows 7), the part of it where gains are showing is very interesting. True to their tradition of taking in new technology, Northern European consumers are shown leading the adoption of Windows 10 in Europe, despite some bad blood between Microsoft and one of the region’s main countries, Finland. Seeing how Microsoft’s newest job cuts has again touched the nerves of the Finnish government, and most likely its citizens, one has to wonder if there will be visible effects on adoption rate in the upcoming months.

All in all, these new stats paints a pretty positive picture of Windows 10 adoption rates in crucial markets, Microsoft’s home base included. Of course, there is a way yet until the OS reaches the global-domination mark of 1-billion; as Microsoft perfects its OS however, that day may come sooner than you think.