Windows 7 Second Most Used OS Worldwide: Report

Looking back now, it seems inevitable that Windows 7 would eclipse the much-disliked Windows Vista, released three years ago amidst absentee fanfare. Now, we've got perfect proof of Microsoft's success in improving upon the latter: Windows 7 has now passed its predecessor as the most-used operating system (OS) in the world.

Impressively, it took just seven months for Windows 7 to achieve that feat. Early predictions had been that it would take the new OS until sometime this summer to pass Vista, but in the end the process was complete only weeks after the ushering in of spring.

Compatibility, Performance Amongst Reasons for Fast Growth

The success of Windows 7 to this point is no mystery: the operating system has improved upon its predecessor, and even current number-one Windows XP, by side-stepping the usual compatibility problems associated with upgrading.

It has also ensured that the OS' visual upgrade was not a downer for folks with less powerful PCs, avoiding the productivity nightmares often associated with Vista.

Thus, there's no denying Windows 7 has been enormous for Microsoft in the past seven months. Most analysts credit the OS for Microsoft's steady revenue growth over the last two quarters. For proof, just look to this statistic from tech research firm Janco Parners, Inc: after just seven months on the market, Windows 7 has achieved a 14.6 per cent market share. (Source: computerworld.com)

Analyst: Vista's Day Passed Long Ago

More than three years after its release, the slick-looking but troublesome Vista never passed its own predecessor, Windows XP. "Vista's market share has peaked, and is in the process of being decommissioned in most enterprises," says Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis. (Source: dailytech.com)

So, everything seems just fine in the OS market for Microsoft. Next up: improving its position in the browser battle. With the dawn of the European browser ballot, market share there has declined considerably. In fact, from 90.61 per cent in January 2005 to just 67.73 last month.