In just under 3 years since its release Windows 7 is now installed on more PCs than Windows XP, making it the most popular Microsoft OS, with XP now in second position.Data provided by Net Applications, a web analytic research company, has shown that Windows 7 is the most used OS in the world with a market share of 42.76% pushing Windows XP into second which now has 42.52% of the market. XP had continued to hold onto the top spot mainly because of the lack of users enthusiasm for its successor Windows Vista, which was seen as a failure by many for Microsoft. Many businesses also held of upgrading to Vista, as XP already was a stable OS to be used in enterprise level, and instead choosing to wait for the OS after Vista. Windows 7 has been much more widely accepted and many touting it as the best OS from Microsoft.

The third most popular OS is Vista, with Mac OS 10.7 in at forth and Windows 8 ninth with a share of 0.23%. Windows 7 could also be to Windows 8, what XP was to Vista, in that many people are a little reluctant to go with the major changes coming with Windows 8, most notable the missing traditional Desktop and Start button, although Windows 8 share should increase rapidly after its release on October 26th and propelling it into third place.