Windows 10 holds 67% market share as Windows 11 reaches 26%
Windows 11 hits 26% market share after a year of updates, while Windows 10 retains 67% and Windows 7 drops to 3.4%.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Windows 11 gains ground but Windows 10 keeps 67%
A laptop with a seventh-generation i5, 16 GB of RAM, and a terabyte SSD is excluded from Windows 11. Its owner is clear: they have no intention of discarding it. This tension between functional hardware and blocking requirements is just one reason why Microsoft's latest operating system remains far from the figures the company itself expected. The data doesn't lie: Windows 10 retains 67% of the market, while Windows 11 sits at 26% after a full year of updates.
The numbers: from 17% to 26% in twelve months
In early 2023, Windows 11's global market share was 17%. After twelve months of patches and new versions, that figure reached 26%. A nine-point gain sounds like success until you look at the other side of the board: Windows 10 maintains 67%, and 7% persists on older versions. Windows 7, for example, fell from 11% to 3.4% during the same period, and that gap went to the two versions competing today.
The result leaves Microsoft with an OS that hasn't taken off and a majority of devices still anchored to a system that, on paper, has its days numbered. The uncomfortable question hovering over the issue is: do we really need a new Windows every few years?
Why don't people upgrade to Windows 11?
Because there is no improvement that justifies the change. The most repeated argument is that Windows 10 works well today, and moving means assuming risk without compensation: according to some users, updates that resulted in blue screens on certain devices, the obligation to create a Microsoft account, difficult-to-disable telemetry, and a version that consumes more resources than the previous one.
Added to this is the hardware wall. The requirement for TPM and recent processors excludes perfectly functional equipment. There are workarounds to install it without meeting the requirement, but these are additional steps that many people are not willing to take when their current computer simply turns on and does what they need.
The breakdown of why a machine sufficient for office tasks and browsing is left out of the system is one of the points that generates the most conversation, and not always for technical reasons. Some argue that the only real purpose of these barriers is to remove still-working computers from the market.
The cycle of a good Windows and a bad one
The most widespread theory among veterans is that Microsoft alternates between successes and disasters. Windows 95 broke the mold, 98 improved it, ME was a fiasco, XP was the reference for half of humanity, Vista was a monumental error, 7 returned to the right path, 8 failed, and 10 worked. It would seem Windows 11 drew the short straw.
It's not a written law, but it explains why so many users wait two or three years before touching anything. The established habit in the sector is clear: when something works in computing, better not to touch it for a while.
Games and software: the coercion route
The final push doesn't come from the system's merits, but from what stops working without it. Fortnite, which launched compatible with Windows 7, now requires Windows 10 or higher in its new season. Valorant asks for Windows 10 or 11 with TPM 2.0 activated. Those who stay on older systems don't move out of preference, but when Netflix, Spotify, or Steam stop responding.
For those who just want a classic desktop, there is the option of extended support enterprise editions, which allow extending the life of the device without the bloatware Microsoft adds by default. The detail of how to configure them, step by step, is the part that attracts the most queries.
The threat of Windows 12
While some hesitate, Microsoft is already preparing the next move. The launch of Windows 12 was scheduled for mid-2024, with a preliminary version in August and a clear focus on artificial intelligence. That, predictably, will raise the hardware bar again and force component changes to meet the requirements.
The underlying question remains in the air: if half of users haven't yet jumped to 11, what incentive will they have to rush toward 12 if it repeats the same play?
A laptop with a seventh-generation i5, 16 GB of RAM, and a terabyte SSD is excluded from Windows 11. Its owner is clear: they have no intention of discarding it. This tension between functional hardware and blocking requirements is just one reason why Microsoft's latest operating system remains far from the figures the company itself expected. The data doesn't lie: Windows 10 retains 67% of the market, while Windows 11 sits at 26% after a full year of updates.
The numbers: from 17% to 26% in twelve months
In early 2023, Windows 11's global market share was 17%. After twelve months of patches and new versions, that figure reached 26%. A nine-point gain sounds like success until you look at the other side of the board: Windows 10 maintains 67%, and 7% persists on older versions. Windows 7, for example, fell from 11% to 3.4% during the same period, and that gap went to the two versions competing today.
The result leaves Microsoft with an OS that hasn't taken off and a majority of devices still anchored to a system that, on paper, has its days numbered. The uncomfortable question hovering over the issue is: do we really need a new Windows every few years?
Why don't people upgrade to Windows 11?
Because there is no improvement that justifies the change. The most repeated argument is that Windows 10 works well today, and moving means assuming risk without compensation: according to some users, updates that resulted in blue screens on certain devices, the obligation to create a Microsoft account, difficult-to-disable telemetry, and a version that consumes more resources than the previous one.
Added to this is the hardware wall. The requirement for TPM and recent processors excludes perfectly functional equipment. There are workarounds to install it without meeting the requirement, but these are additional steps that many people are not willing to take when their current computer simply turns on and does what they need.
The breakdown of why a machine sufficient for office tasks and browsing is left out of the system is one of the points that generates the most conversation, and not always for technical reasons. Some argue that the only real purpose of these barriers is to remove still-working computers from the market.
The cycle of a good Windows and a bad one
The most widespread theory among veterans is that Microsoft alternates between successes and disasters. Windows 95 broke the mold, 98 improved it, ME was a fiasco, XP was the reference for half of humanity, Vista was a monumental error, 7 returned to the right path, 8 failed, and 10 worked. It would seem Windows 11 drew the short straw.
It's not a written law, but it explains why so many users wait two or three years before touching anything. The established habit in the sector is clear: when something works in computing, better not to touch it for a while.
Games and software: the coercion route
The final push doesn't come from the system's merits, but from what stops working without it. Fortnite, which launched compatible with Windows 7, now requires Windows 10 or higher in its new season. Valorant asks for Windows 10 or 11 with TPM 2.0 activated. Those who stay on older systems don't move out of preference, but when Netflix, Spotify, or Steam stop responding.
For those who just want a classic desktop, there is the option of extended support enterprise editions, which allow extending the life of the device without the bloatware Microsoft adds by default. The detail of how to configure them, step by step, is the part that attracts the most queries.
The threat of Windows 12
While some hesitate, Microsoft is already preparing the next move. The launch of Windows 12 was scheduled for mid-2024, with a preliminary version in August and a clear focus on artificial intelligence. That, predictably, will raise the hardware bar again and force component changes to meet the requirements.
The underlying question remains in the air: if half of users haven't yet jumped to 11, what incentive will they have to rush toward 12 if it repeats the same play?
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (121 replies).
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