Here's why Windows 10 won't overtake Windows 7 this year either
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Microsoft’s ambitious goal of making Windows 10 the most popular desktop operating system in the world is still work in progress. According to the latest figures, Windows 10 is now running on more than 700 million devices.
This means that there’s only a 300 million difference from Microsoft’s 1 billion device goal. Now, the question is: Could the upcoming Spring Creators Update boost Windows 10’s adoption rate so as to finally overtake Windows 7?
Well, we dare say the answer is ‘No‘.
Why Windows 10 won’t overtake Windows 7 this year
Indeed, the number of Windows 10 users increased with every new major update. However, if we take a look at the adoption rate, users upgraded to Windows 10 rather slowly.
Of course, the infamous forced update scandals when Windows 7 users even won lawsuits against Microsoft contributed to this slow adoption rate. Naturally, many users did everything they could to block updates that reportedly ignored their will anyway.
So, as far as Windows 10’s marketing strategy is concerned, that was anything but wise. As a result, this forced upgrade story still lingers in people’s minds pushing them to block Spring Creators Update installs.
Second, Windows 7 is still a reliable OS. Although mainstream support for Windows 7 ended in 2015, extended support is available until 2020. This means that Microsoft will regularly roll out security updates to protect users’ computers against the latest threats.
Third, as its name suggests Windows 10 focuses on creative tasks. The average users doesn’t need 3D, Paint 3D, Game DVR and other such features. Therefore, they’re not actually interested in getting the latest Windows 10 version because they’re already happy with their current version.
Although the number of Windows 7 users recently dropped on Steam, we’re talking about another type of consumers here who do not represent the majority.
So, this is why Windows 7 will continue to be the most popular OS in 2018.
What do you think about this scenario? When do you believe Windows 10 will overtake Windows 7 and fulfill Microsoft’s ambitions? Let us know in the comments below.
update – we have edited the article to reflect that it’s an OP-ED and reflect solely the opinion of the author.
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