Graph of Windows OS History

[Rhelic]

I just finished my graphing of the history of Windows adoption from 1999 until today. I would have gone all the way back to Win 3.1 but the site I used ( TheCounter.Com ) only keeps web browsing logs from 1999. Anybody that wants to question the size of data used, keep in mind that TheCounter is one of those web counters (yea they're lame) that people can put on their pages to log stats. TheCounter logs around 554 million page views per month, so this is as good as it gets imho.

[eidenk]

No Windows ME ?

[azagahl]

FYI that doesn't show Windows adoption.

It shows the browser-reported Windows usage among users who frequently browse the Internet, who do not have thecounter.com blocked from their HOSTS file

It's interesting, though.

[Jlo555]

I'm glad to see win98 usage is decreasing at a slower rate than it used to be. As for winME, the stats for that aren't even worth showing. The Counter shows winMe usage in 2005 even lower than win3.1 usage! I think WinMe peaked at about 12% in like 2002 or something. By the looks of the graph, win98 has some weird correlation. Between January and April 2005, the usage went back up slightly. I've never seen that before in OS stats.

[Crash&Burn]

While interesting, I'd have to think that "Win2000" adoption has a greater differential between win98 than would appear to be indicated, and WinXP approaching the 80% range, if accurate, that is just sad.

[Rhelic]

No Windows ME ?

In my original Excel file I have Linux and WinME. Linux never got a solid 1% and after some research WinMe data was tained (and mix) with Win2000 results. I was able to figure out the Win2000 data but I couldn't trust what TheCounter claims about WinME, the data just isn't trustworthy.

But FYI, even with bad data, WinMe never seems to get above 18%, which is VERY low adoption.

It shows the browser-reported Windows usage among users who frequently browse the Internet, who do not have thecounter.com blocked from their HOSTS file

I never said the data was carved in stone, it's a slightly biased view as we're only measuring web serfers but I'd like to remind you that the AVERAGE users (that accounts for well over 95% of people) don't know what the HOSTS file is, so your point is mute Edited October 28, 2005 by Rhelic

[eidenk]

In my original Excel file I have Linux and WinME. Linux never got a solid 1% and after some research WinMe data was tained (and mix) with Win2000 results. I was able to figure out the Win2000 data but I couldn't trust what TheCounter claims about WinME, the data just isn't trustworthy.

But FYI, even with bad data, WinMe never seems to get above 18%, which is VERY low adoption.

Not bad, I thought it would have been lower than that. On some website where I have been (can't remember which) and where they tell you which OS you are using in some corner, my Windows ME was often mistaken for Windows 98.

What are you drinking BTW ? It's since some time I wanted to ask you that.

[wizardofwindows]

i cant believe 80% is running xp that cant be right if i asked 15 friends what they run 6 would say 98se.wonder if third world countries oh im sorry emerging countries are factored in to the graph.i wonder how many people run 98se on msfn forum ,to bad u cant run a poll because people would feel ashamed to admit it or afraid of ripping from xp users.

[Rhelic]

What are you drinking BTW ? It's since some time I wanted to ask you that.

A very very very large margarita, but I can't recall much of anything after that.

i cant believe 80% is running xp that cant be right

If it's reasonable that 75% of people ran 98 when it became mature 5yrs ago, what's so unreasonable about 75% of people running XP today now that it's mature.

Plus as I stated in earlier, these are out of 550 million hits per month, that's a lot of people and what I consider "as good as it gets" data. Perhaps you are ignoring the millions of people who purchase a new PC every college season (both for home and college). That's the biggest factor in OS adoption and if you look at the graph closely, you'll notice the October figure of every year has a larger spike (up and down) than other times in the year.

Edited October 28, 2005 by Rhelic

[Jlo555]

There are some pretty good reasons winMe never got past 18%. It was released in the very end of 2000, right after windows 2000 was released and right before XP was released. It also got a bad reputation from the very beginning of its release. I do find it pretty sad that XP's popularity has grown that high, but has been 4 years since MS released a home-user OS. OEM's for XP are being dished out faster and faster. Also, Microsoft has pretty much cut off the sales of all other OS's it has produced, including win2k. Stores are just beginning to take windows 2000 off the shelf, leaving XP Pro, XP Home, and WinServer 2003. Yes, of course there's eBay, but what average computer user would search an auction site for an OS. Point being: XP's growing popularity is mostly due to the fact that the average computer user doesn't realize they don't have to use XP and are hypnotized into the OS with its "awesome" multimedia features and "colorful" Luna interface.

[saugatak]

I hate XP.

[Jlo555]

Hehe, that's a start I suppose.