Microsoft fixed its Windows Vista OS disaster by releasing the next-generation Windows 7 platform, which is the fastest selling OS ever and is now the No. 2 most used OS by PC owners.
Even though the Janco Associates study indicates Windows 7 controls 14.6% of the market -- good for the No. 2 spot behind Windows XP – its actual marketshare remains unknown. The Janco figures slot Vista in No. 3 with 12.6%, however, another report by NetApplications said Windows 7 is still in the No. 3 position.
It's expected that Windows 7 will replace XP as the most widely used OS in the world, but will still take time for it to saturate the market further. Microsoft released a constant barrage of service packs and updates for Windows XP, and Windows 7 is expected to mature in a similar fashion.
A report released in Early March indicated most early adopters are happy with Windows 7.
"There are now more users of Windows 7 than Vista. That is a major factor in their improved record earnings," noted Victor Janulaitis, Janco CEO, in a statement. "The last OS that was accepted as quickly in the market was XP. Vista's market share has peaked, and is in the process of being decommissioned in most enterprises."
A couple of weeks after its fall 2009 launch, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer noted that Windows 7 outsold other versions of Windows by as much as two-to-one.
Regardless of its actual marketshare, Windows 7 has helped convince consumers to begin using the new OS. Toshiba recently launched a Windows 7-compatible TV, and the OS is now being embedded in new products.
Microsoft has ended support for XP, and is no longer marketing Vista, so Windows 7 should see its market growth continue to expand in coming quarters.
