AfterDawn: News

Windows 7 license sales hit 240 million

Microsoft has said today that it has already sold 240 million Windows 7 licenses, making it the fastest-selling operating system in the company's history.

Windows 7 went on sale last October.



The software giant noted that by the end of September, Windows 7 was running on 93 percent of new PCs, with the OS jumping to 17.1 percent global OS market share, surpassing Vista during the summer.

Windows XP still accounts for a majority 60 percent of the global market.

IW notes that Microsoft has seen their bottom line grow significantly thanks to the strong success of the operating system, with the company seeing a 48 percent increase in net income year-on-year for the fiscal Q4 ended June 30th.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Oct 2010 17:12

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• 24 comments

• GryphB

  That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to.

  21.10.2010 20:30 #1

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP.
  

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  21.10.2010 22:03 #2

• xnmalletx

  Ignorance is bliss.

  21.10.2010 22:17 #3

• KillerBug

  XP is too outdated to be worth discussing; only netbooks have low enough spec to use it. Vista is total garbage...that only leaves Windows 7 and Linux...and linux does not always fit the bill.
  
  It is no wonder that they are selling to many licenses...when you can get 50 licenses for windows 7 plus 20 licenses for Office 2010 for just $200, you tend to buy 50 licenses just because it is cheaper than buying two.

  21.10.2010 22:40 #4

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP. "Better" is highly subjective. It does SOME things better, but a lot of the rest is quite arguable. There's also the question of NEEDING it...for home users, only die-hard gamers who feel they need DirectX 10+ really need Vista or Win7 for that support. Other than that, most other users' needs are still easily met by XP.

  21.10.2010 23:17 #5

• cart0181

  Originally posted by KillerBug: XP is too outdated to be worth discussing; only netbooks have low enough spec to use it. Vista is total garbage...that only leaves Windows 7 and Linux...and linux does not always fit the bill.
  
  It is no wonder that they are selling to many licenses...when you can get 50 licenses for windows 7 plus 20 licenses for Office 2010 for just $200, you tend to buy 50 licenses just because it is cheaper than buying two. What? You can get that many product licenses for only $200? Where?
  

  21.10.2010 23:50 #6

• KillerBug

  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/buy.aspx

  22.10.2010 02:40 #7

• BigDixon

  Windows 7 is easily the best OS ever created. Solid, stable, huge software library, nice to look at. No other OS can boast ALL of those attributes. I'm glad MS got it right with Windows 7. Mac and Linux users now have less ammunition than ever before.
  

  22.10.2010 05:45 #8

• Schmick

  Originally posted by KillerBug: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/buy.aspx That is a subscription - there is an annual fee involved that you neglect to mention. There is also the little catch that the license is only for evaluation purposes only.
  
  Been happily using Linux at home for the last three years. Have to use Windows at work every day, and believe it when I say you couldn't pay me to go back to Windows on my home network.

  22.10.2010 08:15 #9

• LM2008

  DVDBack23, but remember out there are fanatics that insists Windows 7 is a mere polished Vista and no matter how good 7 is they will keep ranting the same bs and like the Linux fans that think everything is resolved with the damn Linux and others still thinking that XP will last forever.
  

  22.10.2010 08:24 #10

• Virgil_B

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP. "Better" is highly subjective. It does SOME things better, but a lot of the rest is quite arguable. There's also the question of NEEDING it...for home users, only die-hard gamers who feel they need DirectX 10+ really need Vista or Win7 for that support. Other than that, most other users' needs are still easily met by XP. I agree with you completely. I really have no need for Windows 7 at this time, but I bought 3 licenses because Microsoft offered them cheaper than one. I basically bought for the future.

  22.10.2010 09:03 #11

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP. "Better" is highly subjective. It does SOME things better, but a lot of the rest is quite arguable. There's also the question of NEEDING it...for home users, only die-hard gamers who feel they need DirectX 10+ really need Vista or Win7 for that support. Other than that, most other users' needs are still easily met by XP. I won't agree with you on "better" being subjective in this case, because it does everything better, frankly. As for "need vs want," you have a case but then again, most people don't really "need" most things they own.
  

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  22.10.2010 09:29 #12

• SomeBozo

  Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP. "Better" is highly subjective. It does SOME things better, but a lot of the rest is quite arguable. There's also the question of NEEDING it...for home users, only die-hard gamers who feel they need DirectX 10+ really need Vista or Win7 for that support. Other than that, most other users' needs are still easily met by XP. I won't agree with you on "better" being subjective in this case, because it does everything better, frankly. As for "need vs want," you have a case but then again, most people don't really "need" most things they own. I would argue win 7 has better security and stability, that is about it. Appearance is completely subjective to user preference. A lot of changes in win 7 appear to be an attempt to make it easier for grandma and computer idiots to use.
  
  Personally i find Win7 very cumbersome to use, before many options and configuration setting use to be broad and shallow, in Win 7 now narrow and deep and someone better organized as a whole, but some places just plain awkward. As a programmer IT worker I prefer WinXP as many of the things i need to do are quicker and simpler, run program 'x' and configure the settings i need. Now in win 7 often you need to run a program, click on some link, navigate another dialog box and repeat this a few times. This wouldn't be so bad if each dialog box that you need to navigate displayed quickly, but often each dialog box just seems so slow, i think mainly because it is trying to display information not needed nor wanted at the point it is displayed. And needing to work on remote computers at times, some functionality in various program was simply removed, making connecting to remote computes a pain. I personally liked Win2000 Server the best but can't use it.
  
  And better being subjective, while working at Microsoft and some co-workers wanting to correct my opinion that win 7 sucks have tried to sit me down to change my mind. So the people saying "Okay show me why win 7 is so bad", sitting down and showing them, each has walked away saying "I see your point, but still win 7 isn't that bad beside you points..." So subjective of not even die hard win 7 lovers i've gotten to admit part are not so nice.
  
  Sure windoZe is a work in progress, wile i personally hate makes i like to suggest to all the win 7 lovers, avoid the intermediate releases of windoZe and just get a mac :)
  
  

  22.10.2010 12:06 #13

• DSWarrior

  I wouldn't buy Windows 7...I tried the BETAs and RCs and I went back running to Linux...until last month when I bought a Mac. Now Windows is irrelevant to me altogether. But if people feel the urge to use M$ products, they can go right ahead into the dark side...
  

  DS Warrior ! ! !

  22.10.2010 12:50 #14

• DXR88

  i use W7 Strictly for gaming, for everything else i use Gentoo.
  
  W7 still runs on the VISTA kernel, but every thing from there is Good and all round finished.
  
  my only gripe is the lack of HAL. as it tends to screw up surround sound, and makes programs that need Hardware acceleration & access virtually useless or not work at all.
  
  
  

  Powered By
  
  

  22.10.2010 16:52 #15

• ST2006

  Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by GryphB: That's because a majority of them idiots out there don't realize it's still Vista, just polished up to look nicer and be less of an a-hole. Who the heck tries to hide a tool like godmode that makes user settings easier to manage? It's like microcrap wants you to suffer more than you need to. I still can't understand how anyone can NOT like Windows 7. It's definitely better than Vista and much better than that fossil XP. Definitely. XP was the best, and I love it, but Windows 7 is what's needed now. Demands have changed.
  
  However, I found networking much easier on XP. I hate Homegroups and I don't like setting up networks.. now I got some time on my hands I will spend a good day setting it up if I have to but with XP I did it through pure self-exploration in seconds :/
  
  THE REAL REASON FOR THIS POST THOUGH...
  
  I really hate the way it's described as "license sold" as opposed to "copies sold" - I think once you got Windows 7 the operating system should be YOURS to use and call YOURS. :|
  

  SmokeThis2006

  22.10.2010 18:19 #16

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by Schmick: Originally posted by KillerBug: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/buy.aspx That is a subscription - there is an annual fee involved that you neglect to mention. There is also the little catch that the license is only for evaluation purposes only.
  
  Been happily using Linux at home for the last three years. Have to use Windows at work every day, and believe it when I say you couldn't pay me to go back to Windows on my home network. Not a subscription; the licenses keep working even if you don't renew. Sure, they are "for evaluation purposes only"...but all that means is that you cannot sell them.
  
  I would love to move to Linux...but it simply isn't an option. GIMP can't compete with photoshop, nothing on Linux can compete with Solidworks or Autodesk, ActiveX and Silverlight support are almost non-existent, Windows xp x64 has better driver support than linux, etc, etc, etc...Linux doesn't even have NetFlix support; even the wII can do that! I'm not saying windows 7 is perfect...far from it. Linux makes a far better server, and even a better workstation for some users...but Windows 7 is simply more capable, even if more fallible.

  24.10.2010 06:15 #17

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by ST2006:
  THE REAL REASON FOR THIS POST THOUGH...
  
  I really hate the way it's described as "license sold" as opposed to "copies sold" - I think once you got Windows 7 the operating system should be YOURS to use and call YOURS. :| Actually, Microsoft uses the "licenses sold" terminology to exaggerate sales figures. Even new computers that normally come w/ Win7 but had their OS replaced w/ XP/Linux for customers they count as a Win7 license sale. They almost never release standalone copy sales figures because they are FAR less impressive.

  24.10.2010 19:03 #18

• ST2006

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by ST2006:
  THE REAL REASON FOR THIS POST THOUGH...
  
  I really hate the way it's described as "license sold" as opposed to "copies sold" - I think once you got Windows 7 the operating system should be YOURS to use and call YOURS. :| Actually, Microsoft uses the "licenses sold" terminology to exaggerate sales figures. Even new computers that normally come w/ Win7 but had their OS replaced w/ XP/Linux for customers they count as a Win7 license sale. They almost never release standalone copy sales figures because they are FAR less impressive. Is that just biased on your behalf? (more for the lat comment) :P
  
  I mean, it definitely makes sense logically, but that's what people debating the true figures of Linux users would argue, and why MS isnt as popular as they say to be. But really, that goes in to the whole linux discussion which I really cba to discuss, particularly since I've tried Linux and although I get it's purpose, it doesn't serve me. So it's not really relevant to me lol.
  
  What I do know of though, is that Linux is still a very niche OS. Most computers are loaded with Windows, and so most everyday people used that and have been doing so for years; in fact this can be seen the other way around - people use Windows, so most computers come loaded with it. Therefore, it only makes sense they quote those as people who set out to by Windows are very niche themselves, being their own PC builders. And even many of them pirate Windows.
  
  Any how, I may be talking stuff that isn't relevant, in which case I apolagise. A guy needs his sleep and that's what I'm about to go get.
  
  Thanks lol!
  

  SmokeThis2006

  24.10.2010 22:12 #19

• Pop_Smith

  I enjoy Windows 7 because it doesn't feel as bloated Vista. It also helps their sales when Microsoft has a three-license upgrade pack, which lets you upgrade three PCs from XP or Vista to Windows 7, for $130.
  
  I'm running Ubuntu as my main OS but I do like the feel of Windows 7 when I need to run something in a Windows OS. I found XP to feel really dated after using Windows 7, even occasionally, since the Beta.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.
  
  "The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins." - Gizmodo

  25.10.2010 00:04 #20

• SomeBozo

  I think in a few years the discussion for which OS will be irrelevant mostly because people will do most things on they phones. I think in a few years only gamers, IT Professionals, people doing word processing will make up most 90% or more will make up the percentage of people using a desktop and/or laptop for that matter. I for one believe this is the main reason you see Microsoft working so hard to break into the phone market, because for the majority of home users that would use windows now will for the most part switch to simply using their phones...
  

  25.10.2010 01:53 #21

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by ST2006: Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by ST2006:
  THE REAL REASON FOR THIS POST THOUGH...
  
  I really hate the way it's described as "license sold" as opposed to "copies sold" - I think once you got Windows 7 the operating system should be YOURS to use and call YOURS. :| Actually, Microsoft uses the "licenses sold" terminology to exaggerate sales figures. Even new computers that normally come w/ Win7 but had their OS replaced w/ XP/Linux for customers they count as a Win7 license sale. They almost never release standalone copy sales figures because they are FAR less impressive. ...I mean, it definitely makes sense logically, but that's what people debating the true figures of Linux users would argue, and why MS isnt as popular as they say to be. But really, that goes in to the whole linux discussion which I really cba to discuss, particularly since I've tried Linux and although I get it's purpose, it doesn't serve me. So it's not really relevant to me lol.
  
  What I do know of though, is that Linux is still a very niche OS. Most computers are loaded with Windows, and so most everyday people used that and have been doing so for years; in fact this can be seen the other way around - people use Windows, so most computers come loaded with it. Therefore, it only makes sense they quote those as people who set out to by Windows are very niche themselves, being their own PC builders. And even many of them pirate Windows.... I'm definitely not advocating Linux...at least for regular home users. While it's much better than it was 10 years ago, it's still hardly 'friendly' enough for most users.
  
  The XP/Linux comment was more regarding new business PC purchases, many of which get XP or other older Windows versions (or possibly Linux for certain uses) put on them even though there's a new Win7 license attached to each unit. Besides that, it's still mostly people buying new PCs because they wanted a new PC, not because they necessarily WANTED Win7. It's kinda like if a certain brand of coffee bragged about how popular its coffee is mostly because that's all 80-90% of restaurants/hotels/etc. served, even if individual retail sales were just so-so at best.

  25.10.2010 05:26 #22

• ST2006

  Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by ST2006: Originally posted by xnonsuchx: Originally posted by ST2006:
  THE REAL REASON FOR THIS POST THOUGH...
  
  I really hate the way it's described as "license sold" as opposed to "copies sold" - I think once you got Windows 7 the operating system should be YOURS to use and call YOURS. :| Actually, Microsoft uses the "licenses sold" terminology to exaggerate sales figures. Even new computers that normally come w/ Win7 but had their OS replaced w/ XP/Linux for customers they count as a Win7 license sale. They almost never release standalone copy sales figures because they are FAR less impressive. ...I mean, it definitely makes sense logically, but that's what people debating the true figures of Linux users would argue, and why MS isnt as popular as they say to be. But really, that goes in to the whole linux discussion which I really cba to discuss, particularly since I've tried Linux and although I get it's purpose, it doesn't serve me. So it's not really relevant to me lol.
  
  What I do know of though, is that Linux is still a very niche OS. Most computers are loaded with Windows, and so most everyday people used that and have been doing so for years; in fact this can be seen the other way around - people use Windows, so most computers come loaded with it. Therefore, it only makes sense they quote those as people who set out to by Windows are very niche themselves, being their own PC builders. And even many of them pirate Windows.... I'm definitely not advocating Linux...at least for regular home users. While it's much better than it was 10 years ago, it's still hardly 'friendly' enough for most users.
  
  The XP/Linux comment was more regarding new business PC purchases, many of which get XP or other older Windows versions (or possibly Linux for certain uses) put on them even though there's a new Win7 license attached to each unit. Besides that, it's still mostly people buying new PCs because they wanted a new PC, not because they necessarily WANTED Win7. It's kinda like if a certain brand of coffee bragged about how popular its coffee is mostly because that's all 80-90% of restaurants/hotels/etc. served, even if individual retail sales were just so-so at best. Yeah definitely I agree with that. To be honest though, that would've applied much more to Vista than Widnows 7 because people and businesses are actually taking a great liking to it. My school for instance went around upgrading their machines to Windows 7.
  
  They recently bought a new load of computers with Vista preloaded, but quickly downgraded to XP. However this was coming to August and then summer came they gave each machine Windows 7.
  
  So perhaps, though not completely applicable, it's a lot more so than when they done the same for Vista, seeing as more people actually like Windows 7.
  
  Personally
  
  Having now managed to set up my home network on Windows 7, I don't miss XP at all lol !!!!

  27.10.2010 06:30 #23

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by SomeBozo: I think in a few years the discussion for which OS will be irrelevant mostly because people will do most things on they phones. I think in a few years only gamers, IT Professionals, people doing word processing will make up most 90% or more will make up the percentage of people using a desktop and/or laptop for that matter. I for one believe this is the main reason you see Microsoft working so hard to break into the phone market, because for the majority of home users that would use windows now will for the most part switch to simply using their phones... Phones are not going to be able to replace PCs any time soon...the nicer Android phones can do a lot, but you still have a tiny screen, a slow processor, little ram, a tiny keyboard or an onscreen keyboard, no mouse, very little storage, and very limited advanced capabilities. An iPad-sized tablet might be able to get a big part of the PC market (the people who use "internet" and "email" interchangeably)...but it would have to be a lot more capable than the iPad, and with a lower price.

  28.10.2010 05:44 #24