Report: Windows 10 installed on more than 200 million devices
Microsoft is doing what it can to reach the goal of 1 billion Windows 10 devices two to three years after the release of the operating system.
Latest figures, which are not yet confirmed by Microsoft, suggest that more than 200 million devices are running Microsoft's new operating system Windows 10 at the end of December 2015.
That's a jump of about 80 million devices from the previously reported figure of 120 million devices two months ago.
All in all, since its release five months ago, Windows 10 has founds its way on more than 200 million devices.
The jump in the past two months, if true, would mean that about 40 million new devices are either upgraded to Windows 10 or purchased with Windows 10 already installed on them.
If you project a 40 million per month device increase for the future as well, which seems possible considering that Microsoft will push Windows 10 (even more) aggressively on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 systems as an upgrade, it would mean that Microsoft could reach the one billion figure in 20 months from now on or 25 months after the release of Windows 10.
It means as well that more than 1 million devices are being added to the Windows 10 family each day.
Since this is filed under rumor, we don't really know which device types are included in the new figure. Microsoft started to roll out Windows 10 for its Xbox One entertainment system in November for instance. It is unclear if these numbers are included or if this is purely based on the PC ecosystem and nothing else.
Considering that Windows 10 will be on other devices in the near future, Windows 10 Mobile for instance, it is likely that this is going to push the 1 billion figure in the realm of possibility.
Microsoft hinted recently that it would reveal new adoption figures near the end of the year, and it is likely that the company will publish a "looking back and forward" article that reveals them in greater detail to the public.
Again, the new figure has not been confirmed yet by Microsoft but if true, it means that Microsoft is on course to beating the ambitious goal.
Now You: do you think Windows 10 will be on more than one billion devices in the next two to three years? (via Winbeta)
In 2011, Microsoft announced there were 1.25 billion computers running the various versions of Windows. 500 million Win7 licenses had been sold. Based on those numbers (which are outdated) Microsoft has to convince many happy users to abandon not only Win7 but perhaps many usable computers to upgrade to Win10.
It’s easy to see why MS wants to install on 1 billion “devices” and not 1 billion computers. However, to do even that their phone business needs to improve and it isn’t.
I think MS needs to crack the Chinese market to get to a billion devices. However, It’s my understanding that China is demanding a rewrite of Win10 for that market. Is MS going to claim that a rewritten version of Win10 fulfills their dream of getting Win10 on a billion devices – probably.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/right-now-there-are-125-billion-windows-pcs-worldwide-2011-12?op=1
Windows 10 is not an OS. It’s not a software product. It’s a weapon of mass destruction.
Really ? I’m very afraid…
noo its an NSA sponsored piece of malware masquerading as an os, gotta catchy those terroristy civs somehow!
Seriously, I don’t care about Windows 10. In that earlier ghacks article about MS hard pushing everything has been said. They need that number to bling over Apple and to stay in big business, so they give users some more eye-candy and toys and take their data in the background. If they continue to play hard against Win7 users I’ll leave MS completely.
Install Windows 10? No thanks.
https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/
Seeing as over half of those 200 million were in the first two months it isn’t looking good, 1st month saw 75 million, next month it was 110 million, and now its taken 3 months to gain an extra 90 million that’s a massive decrease in adoption rates, if things carry on like they are i wouldn’t be surprised if they struggle to keep installs per month above 10 million by the end of 2016.
I think the growth will slow significantly. There’s a limited amount of people who blindly install something just because it pops up on their screen.
Given the number of toolbars found on the average user’s browser, I don’t think it is so limited. Eventually MS will hit a saturation point, though, that much is true, and those who haven’t updated yet will be the ones who they have managed to turn off to their product through their aggression. As much as they claim to wish to end the ‘fragmentation’ of their userbase, it seems they have generated a tactic to do precisely that.
@JohnMWhite
Reference toolbars. On one laptop which I cleaned because “it is running very slowly” there were 18 !!! toolbars which I removed. I ran Malwarebytes Antimalware scan. To my UTTER amazement there were 3,093 PUPS installed.
Bootup before cleanup, 7 minutes. Bootup after cleanup 23 seconds. Result for me? 1 Litre of Smirnoff vodka in thanks.
N.B. liked your comment re Peter: “Typos are mere accidents …….”
I’m staying with win 7 myself. I have no problem moving to Linux when the time comes if necessary.
Its a small number but I have moved 3 family members back to win 7 after they did the win 10 upgrade. I’m wondering if that number shows to Microsoft as upgrading in their number of 200 million devices. Somehow I don’t think so.
I would like to see a number that shows how many people are actually using Win 10 NOT how many people upgraded.
Interesting: I actually did the opposite as you, over the holidays, and have moved several family members/friends from Win7 to Win10 thus far, with a few more to go!
Personally, I was pleasantly surprised, and find that I’m really liking Windows 10 thus far, and find it better than Windows 7.
My own 2 home computers also seem to be running faster/smoother under Windows 10.
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But… of course there is that “little” issue of the forced updates, and telemetry gathering. But I took care of that and turned most of that off, by other means! For now it seems to be only “power users” turning that cr@p off… but I suspect that in the future a HUGE portion of regular Windows users will install 3rd party programs to stop this insane nonsense on the part of Microsoft.
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ALSO… don’t get me wrong: I absolutely, totally, utterly ABHOR Microsoft’s shameful aggressive tactics with Windows 10, the likes of which I don’t ever remember seeing from Microsoft. This has me stunned and highly fearful for the corporate culture/direction that Satya Nadella seems to be steering the ship towards.
I had such high hopes for Nadella, but these aggressive forced tactics, coupled with forced updates, and telemetry gathering that is difficult to fully turn off, have turned my feelings about Nadella a full 180 degrees into the negative.
In my opinion, the damage to Microsoft’s brand/reputation among IT professionals, and also many members of the general public (made even worse recently by that backtracking of free unlimited storage they had promised to us) is pretty severe, and is going to take a long time to recover from.
OVERALL… This has caused me tremendous pause, and has dramatically diminished the excitement and thrill I would have otherwise felt about moving to Windows 10, and like you I find myself seriously considering Linux instead for the future, as a result of this.
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IN SHORT… I’ll certainly be watching Microsoft’s policies/culture more closely now… and time will tell whether or not I decide to abandon Microsoft because of this shocking new direction they have taken with these heavy handed dictator like tactics. . They’ve been put on notice to cut this out, by this customer at least!
@Velocity.Wave
Thank you for a well written, balanced, comment about Win 10.
You like Win 10 as a user BUT you do not like MS aggressive update tactics.
As a dyed in the wool Win 7 user, it was refreshing to find no derogatory comments such as “Luddite” or “Neanderthal” being hurled at noswal and, indirectly, other Win 7 users.
With reference to controlling Win 10 updates installation, may I refer you to Martin’s article of 10/10/15.
THis evaluates “Windows Update MiniTool”. It is well worth a read.
Also, in “WebUser” issue 387 (this week), there is an article describing installation and configuration of the program. Unfortunately “WebUser” may not be available outside the UK.
I’ve had mixed approaches. On one hand, I’ve ensured that my PC, my laptop, my wife’s laptop and my mother-in-law’s laptop will be staying with Windows 7 (using various tools to block Microsoft’s aggressive and borderline-criminal pushing of Windows 10). They work fine, they do what we need, and upgrading to Windows 10 can only damage that.
However on the other hand, I replaced my father-in-law’s laptop (old thing running Vista) and I did put Windows 10 on it. He was changing OS anyway, so it made sense to go the whole hog.
Let’s be clear, Microsoft wants people to be using Windows 10 for their benefit, not ours.
Very interesting to see further growth of Windows10. I really lovein Windows OS.
I think it will be on MORE THAN ONE MILLION DEVICES. What a dork…can’t even double-check his own writing.
Stop complaining!!! If you don’t want Windows 10, then don’t install it.
I won’t install it but people who aren’t windows update aware might miss all the updates that try to trick you into downgrading to windows 10,and a trick it is because they rename the ten related updates and also remove the decline box from the GWT window. Again non aware people can be duped into getting ten then after the downgrade they have the nightmare of upgrading back to 7/8.1. Also getting annoyed about a typo is lame :(
Typos are mere accidents, like you.
Good morning Peter.
If you have written the comments above to flame Martin Brinkmann, try writng the imformative articles which he does. It must be good to be so perfect and never make a mistake!
Also, mixing two different comments in one reply, one about Martin and one about Tom Hawack, is a sign of an incoherent and incontinent mind. That and the upper case writing indicate that you are probably a shill albeit not a very good one !! I bet that you did not enter your email address when you posted your comment.
So Dickhead, sod off and play your games on another site, you moronic cretin !! When you do, try to be a little more inventive with your invective.
“Latest figures, which are not yet confirmed by Microsoft, suggest that more than 200 million devices are running Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 10 at the end of December 2015.”
Who figures that out? Also, whatever may be the sources, the number is mentioned as suggested.
Either it is true either it is speculation either it is basic plugging for Microsoft. To remain objective I’ll avoid opening my heart in public.
We’d have a billion Windows 10 users, now, tomorrow, in July 2016 or whenever it wouldn’t make me change my mind.
I will not accept Windows 10 as it is now. If finished, polished, with privacy issues controlled and Windows Updates non mandatory then maybe I’ll start evaluating a smile, a new approach to the Big Villein. Maybe. Otherwise, no way.
I forgot this : should Microsoft continue to harass me with Win10 that I’d start writing a short novel on a U.S. class action against a well-known software company, Based on a true story.
“Now You: do you think Windows 10 will be on more than one million devices in the next two to three years?”
Yeah Martin, I think it will be over a million….
Corrected ;)
I think 1 million still stands as a question! To answer the 1 million question, i think it will be under a million because everyone will realise that the new microsoft philosophy sucks balls. It’ll reach a billion only if microsoft include all their virtual machine operating systems of win 10 that they run on 7 or 8.1(which all their employees use). If i didn’t need windows for gaming i wouldn’t use it.Saying that though there still isn’t a Linux that is as good as windows yet, although some are close. I gave this about two minutes thought by the way so don’t quote me in your next article Martin because my Husband Billy boy Gates will divorce me. Sshhh or he will confiscate Macbook.
Good to know …thanks
I’m sorry, but I feel that repeating this aggressive Microsoft propaganda is a bit too much. I know that Win10 is a hot subject, but I don’t see what exactly would the readers gain by knowing the updated number of Win10 computers every two weeks…
It helps to document the imperial takeover of desktops by Microsoft’s Windows 10 throughout this period of time in internet history.
The netizens of the future will be able to find out why they are all enslave by Microsoft’s Windows OS, where it all started and that we were the generation that allowed this enslavement to take place and did nothing about it.
Why do you contend that this is a spread of Microsoft’s propaganda? Are you not aware the article is on the same blog that has articles on how to avoid the Windows 10 upgrade notice or Win 10’s telemetry features every few days? You are implying a sinister motive to nothing more than an IT author writing about an IT trend. Some readers care to know about the spread of the new OS and MS’s spin on that for a variety of reasons.
Market trend moron. Crawl back in your hole.
It’s been almost two months since the figure of 110 million was reported. Two something. But not two weeks. Satya must be heading for a big bonus if they hit the 1 billion device mark by mid 2018.
It’s interesting to see the growth, if you love or hate Win10
I’ll stand by my initial opinion. Repeating this kind of news over and over helps no one (except Microsoft maybe).
It’s a forced growth done by company, not one created by users. Sure, there’s a number of users who intentionally did an upgrade but in most cases, these numbers are coming from aggressive upgrade policy and thus, in my opinion, are fake. But corporations doesn’t care about such “little things”.
Usefulness is subjective though. Some might find it useful, some might not. Some might find this interesting, some might not.
Interesting, maybe. Useful, nope.