Windows 10 overtakes Windows 7 in the US and UK

Although Windows 10 snagged only a hike of 0.64% globally in December 2016 compared to the previous month based on NetMarketShare’s data, the operating system has seen some growth in the U.S. and U.K. Data from Statcounter shows that Windows 10 hit 31.02% in the U.K and 26.9% in the U.S. respectively during the same period.

With this data, Windows 10 has now officially overtaken Windows 7 in the U.S. and U.K. According to Statcounter’s data, Windows 7 finished 2016 with a market share of 21.49% in the U.K. and 26.56% in the U.S. The market growth in the U.K. over the last month in particular marks the sharpest gain for Windows 10. Statcounter’s data shows that Windows 10 is starting to become the U.K.’s most widely used operating system for desktops and tablets in June when it reached 27.59%, eclipsing Windows 7 in the country.

Meanwhile, Windows 10 continues to lag behind Windows 7 on a global scale. For example, the latest data from NetMarketShare puts Windows 10 desktop market share at 24.36% in December 2016 while Windows 7 remains dominant at 48.34%. Also, Statcounter’s figures indicate that Windows 10 reached a market share of 24.48% in December 2016 while Windows snagged 36.26% during the same period.

Windows 10 adoption began to slow down dramatically when Microsoft ended its free upgrade offer in July 2015. However, it now seems that installations are starting to soar again after three months of flat growth. It’s slowly becoming evident that the free Windows 10 upgrade was an effective strategy, though Microsoft’s biggest error was making the offer available for only a year — and being uncharacteristically aggressive while it did.

Are you surprised that Windows 10 has eclipsed Windows 7 in the U.K. and U.S.? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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