Windows 10 now powers more than 1 billion devices worldwide. This includes PCs, laptops, tablets, Xbox One games consoles, and HoloLens smart glasses. And while it may have taken Microsoft longer to hit the 1 billion milestone than planned, it’s still an achievement.
How Windows Phone Failed Microsoft
Just before Microsoft launched Windows 10 in July 2015, the company declared that it was hoping to have Windows 10 installed on 1 billion devices “within two to three years after launch”. Unfortunately for Microsoft, that timeline came and went.
This failure was mostly driven by the demise of Windows Phone, as the original target was set when Windows Phone was still providing competition for Android and iOS. However, when Windows Phone failed, Microsoft had to rely on other devices instead.
Windows 10 Hits the Big Milestone
Now, five years on, Microsoft has hit the magic milestone. The company heralded the result on the Windows Blog, saying that “over one billion people have chosen Windows 10 across 200 countries resulting in more than one billion active Windows 10 devices”.
Windows 10: Powering the world with 1 billion monthly active devices https://t.co/XlNjYqi3uA
— Windows Blogs (@windowsblog) March 16, 2020
The reference to people is interesting, as Microsoft has previously always referred simply to devices. The statement suggests that the number of individual users and number of devices are both over 1 billion. Which is a cause for celebration for Microsoft.
In September 2019, Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 was installed on 900 million devices. So the number has jumped up by more than 100 million in under six months. Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 in January, which will have helped.
Upgrading From Windows 7 to Windows 10
The upshot is that “one in every seven people on the planet” now uses Windows 10. The company also heralds the fact that it’s “the only operating system at the heart of over 80,000 models and configurations of different laptops and 2-in-1s”.
With 1 billion people now using Windows 10, it’s probably time for everyone else to follow suit. And with Windows 7 reaching its end of life, it’s definitely time for you to upgrade. So here are the Windows 7 end of life alternatives open to you.
Read the full article: Windows 10 Now Powers 1 Billion Devices
