The most popular US end-user operating systems

I was also amazed about the relatively low numbers for Android. f you look at the OS and device numbers, you would think there are more users in this statistic.

Jody Thornton said:

I'm actually shocked that the mobile OSs don't rate much higher.

The low tablet visit stats must be a shock to tablet "fanboys" (since tablet fanboys claim they are superior to desktops in every way).

ZDNet - Ed Bott
Six surprising facts about who's winning the operating system and browser wars in the U.S. | ZDNet

whs said:

I was also amazed about the relatively low numbers for Android. f you look at the OS and device numbers, you would think there are more users in this statistic.

I think that is because the US contains the majority of the World's Apple "fanboys".

The father of Windows 7's popularity is going down? Well the people that are still using the legend Windows OS are still on XP's grave and they're just about to leave.

Alejandro85 said:

Jody Thornton said:

Actually I would think mobile OS usage is QUITE relevant. A lot of people are replacing PCs with tablets and phones. Many people who ditched XP didn't go to Windows 7, 8 or whatever; they went and bought an iPad or a Galaxy. I'm actually shocked that the mobile OSs don't rate much higher.

Really? do you have any serious references for that?
Common sense says that they're not the same thing, tablets and phones aren't simply in par of real, full fledged computers' capabilities, many things are more difficult at tablets, mostly related to working and intensive usage. Tablets fill another niche market, but they're far from being a replacement of computers, much less I refuse to believe that people would ditch a computer for a phone for the same workload.
Having both is certainly fine, using them for complementary purposes is too, but since they fulfill different purposes, I don't think that either can replace the other, not without serious drawbacks.

The numbers are relevant, you're right. But putting them all together is wrong. Windows can be replaced by Linux or MacOSX, not by iOS or Android. In the same sense Android cannot be replaced by Windows (it can be by Windows Phone however).
The correct thing would be to have two tables. One showing OSs for real computers, other for tablets/phones, which are really in a different league.

No I don't have references for that. It was an anecdotal assessment in terms of who I see around me using mobile devices. And my being shocked that mobile OS use wasn't higher was simply a surprise reaction.

Look, I'm no tablet "fanboy". I don't even have one, and I have a non-smart phone from 2009. I used PCs just like you (in fact I'm on Vista). But if you go to all of the retail shops, and look around everywhere, all you see are mobile devices and OS implementations. You don't need numbers to see that Microsoft Windows is starting to take a back seat. I'm not not arguing that tablets can handle the same workload as desktops. What I'm saying is that many users were previously using a desktop, when all they needed was a tablet or phone to suit their purposes (consumption tasks like browsing, email, shopping, some light note taking, and audio/video uses). That's all they wanted, and now their glad to not lug around a Windows based notebook, or be tied down to a desktop.

Sorry, but when I see all the people that I do using mobile devices, I don't see Windows or desktops as progressive technology. And they can be lumped together, since many of the people using mobile devices formerly used PCs. They hardly complement their use (and no I don't have numbers, but just look around). You have to lump them in if want to see where those who formerly used Windows are now going.

And for those who hate Metro (so do I) but that just solidifies my point that even Microsoft sees how important the mobile device is, and is steering their efforts that way. What more can be done with the desktop to improve is? What new concept is there? How do you draw new customers?

The answer is mobility. Why are we surprised by this? Even Microsoft, who in the end was slow to the game, championed and predicted this a decade ago. They even said there would be "something" after Windows. So here it is emerging before us now.

whs said:

I was also amazed about the relatively low numbers for Android. f you look at the OS and device numbers, you would think there are more users in this statistic.

I know. Some other users were saying if I had stats to back it up. I didn't, but I was shocked just the same. Who on the street talks about Windows anymore?

I understand that this is a Windows 7 forum, but it's as if some people are hoping that Microsoft will protect Windows 7 for perpetuity. Why would they do that? How would any new market-changing concepts ever emerge from that?

(and remember that in my typing this, I'm also a person that wants to stay with the old. I just don't expect a business will ever fall in line with that)

Jody Thornton said:

Look, I'm no tablet "fanboy". I don't even have one, and I have a non-smart phone from 2009. I used PCs just like you (in fact I'm on Vista). But if you go to all of the retail shops, and look around everywhere, all you see are mobile devices and OS implementations.

I wasn't trying to suggest you were a tablet "fanboy".

I was referring to the people who always pop-up in the comment sections attached to the "Desktop PC is dead" articles.

Alejandro85 said:

The numbers are relevant, you're right. But putting them all together is wrong. Windows can be replaced by Linux or MacOSX, not by iOS or Android. In the same sense Android cannot be replaced by Windows (it can be by Windows Phone however).
The correct thing would be to have two tables. One showing OSs for real computers, other for tablets/phones, which are really in a different league.

In Ed Bott's article, he created a bunch of different tables.

lehnerus2000 said:

I wasn't trying to suggest you were a tablet "fanboy".
I was referring to the people who always pop-up in the comment sections attached to the "Desktop PC is dead" articles.

No worries at all. Just using your phrase to clarify my position. But no offense meant.
:)