Windows 7 hits 150 million licenses: that's seven copies a second
By Sean Hollister 
posted June 23rd 2010 7:48PM
posted June 23rd 2010 7:48PM
posted June 23rd 2010 7:48PM
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I think the reason Windows 7 sold so well is because so many people held of updating from XP->Vista. To be honest Windows 7 is pretty good although the windows media centre software seems to have problems dealing with DVB cards (stutters) even though third party clients are fine.
Out of those 150 million licenses, lets see how many will actualy be used by end-user (not the handset manufacturers, who buy the licenses).
Awesome OS, well done MS for not just coming back in the game but dominating the game to the point where other cannot follow!!!
this doesn't surprise anyone considering 3rd party pc makers save money by using MS windows rather than making their own OS.
WOW! HOW EPIC!
GTFOOH!
Thanks Microsoft, for not being a dbag about it
"Perhaps execs can celebrate with a nice Windows 7 Whopper, topped with a fresh .dll pickle"
That's genius, whoever thought it up
XP FTW!
I bought 2 of them.
WHO'S YA DADDY.
Its interesting that some people call mobile devices with mobile OSs the future, yet MS will sell more copies of just Windows 7 in one year than Apple has iOS devices ever. No OS has ever sold this well, this fast. If mobile OSs are suppose to be the future, why is a non mobile OS kicking everyones *** right now.
@timotim Someone likes their desktop. I hate to argue numbers, but I personally enjoy modern mobile devices. So, according to Google and other sources, Android sales, for example, have reached 160k a day. Thats one Android device or phone every 6 seconds, which is one number off of Windows 7. I guess consumers have BOTH? :P
@timotim
It's simply not possible to recreate the same functionality and usability of a desktop with a handheld device. I'm sure that in the not-too-distant future, most people will be able to fill their daily computing needs on a mobile phone or tablet. However, people who need to write long reports, or do intensive graphical editing, or typesetting, or 3D modelling, etc. will be moving away from their powerful desktop with large screen any time soon. All those who say the iPad is amazing and will kill normal computing, clearly weren't using their computers "properly" (as in, what they were doing was only a fraction of what they could have been doing).
win 7 is the only thing microsoft is banking on since they lost mobile to apple, lost search to google, email to yahoo, and gaming to nintendo. If microsoft loses OS war, OH MAN THERE WILL BE. WORLD WAR 3.
@(Unverified)
Too early to tell if WP7 will succeed or not. MS never really had a strong position in search, in fact I think they are building momentum there rather than losing it. Hotmail is still the most widely-used web mail in the world, with Google Mail next. I don't even know anyone who uses Yahoo. And gaming was never MS's to lose, so I don't know where you got that one from.
@(Unverified) I second @dboobies , Microsoft's still banking from a lot of revenue of ads in it's mail service, i barely know 1 or 2 persons that use Gmail, but almost 250 Hotmail contacts, it's clear who has the dominance on several markets, such as Latin American, also they technically "never" lost search to gooogle, because they entered the market as a contender, they weren't stablished befre google, so there's techincally nothing to lose in Search Marketshare,
I Know that I'm writing like a fanboy, but it's good to recognize that microsoft has been doing good on several IT areas, not just on Operating Systems.
@(Unverified) You got it all wrong... MS actually leads in email, has had a steady gain of Bing in search and the Bing.com services are better than Google.com, Apple doesn't have the lead in phones but WP7 looks to produce a great competitor this fall and Xbox 360 is doing better than the mighty Playstation brand and PS3... THATS HUGE! Lastly, MS doesnt just lead in OSs... they dominate in OSs.
I just switched back to windows after 4 years with mac and I couldn't be happier.
Microsoft posted a happy stupid gorilla for this good news.
way to go MS! keep on pownin
I LUVE BALMER..with a passion...
but man...7 copies a second thats allot of money....everything microsoft is doing seems so super nowadays...with kinect, zune, xbox 360, kin...wait no.. scratch tat, kin was a terrible choice..im questioning that one balmer..i mean not a terrible choice, it was rather..unfinished, and roughly done.
Well done MS, its a very nice OS
MS is definitely on a roll and Win7 rectifying the negative backlash from Vista there is no way they're going to slow down. I bought Win7 64 bit and its been rock solid for me and everyone I know. Comical that apple users are complaining about Win7 'stealing' features, when apple has been doing that for years.
Rock on, MS, keep the hits coming and put your foot down on apple's throat.
No big surprise considering it's the OS sold on every non-apple desktop.
Just wait for the death spiral to begin once HP starts shipping WebOS for HP computers, and Google finally ships Chrome OS & Android for desktops.
Who wants to pay the microsoft tax after that?
@Kiwipoweredkiwi With all the due respect, persons that need different applications than web-powered ones, such as Graphical Design, CAD, Audio Edition, Etc..., i know that several of them are available online, but with reduced functionality and a lower speed, so if you need to use a computer for a different application that's not basic usage, you'll need to pay the Microsoft or in any Given case the Mac Os Tax.
@Kiwipoweredkiwi
"Just wait for the death spiral to begin"
How many sandwiches should I pack for that wait? One or two million?
@mrpikachu1 Well the amount of people who either use High end software or play high end games on a PC must surely be less than half that of how many users buy windows today.
I'm fairly confident that the majority of the general public will choose a simpler more intuitive OS (WebOS, Chrome/Android, iOS) if they were tweaked for the Desktop. Especially as they don't give a flying **** about CAD etc. Windows will still be around, but just as a niche product for professionals.
I'm pretty sure the next iMac revision is going to include a dual mode of OS X desktop + iOS 4 (yes I'm an apple fanboy, but I think the above theory stands on it's own merit)
Microsoft is the best!
my MacbookPro boots up to win7 by default... its my favourite app on my Apple product.
OSX is just for FCP video editing, fun & productivity is on PC.
@fredphoesh
+1
Me too.
Well, there is no doubt Windows7 is Microsofts BEST OS to date! It is truly amazing.
Lou
www.anon-vpn.at.tc
I'll be running Windows XP until my computer dies on me (5 years and going going going...), but I'm sure when it finally gives up the ghost, I'll upgrade to Windows 7. My dad has it and loves it.
Sure would like it if MS could fix the battery problems caused by something in Windows7. I had no problems with battery life in Vista yet when I upgraded to 7 my computer dies in 15 min. Check it out, it is widespread.
@mike1650
Blame the drivers that you are installed.
@magallanes
I are didn't install shit, Windows 7 does that.
So does every PC that is sold count as a license? This number would be more amazing if it didn't count new PC's and just standalone copies. The reason is that most people (i.e. non-geeks) but a new PC when they need it, no matter what OS is pre-installed, but congratulations anyways MS.
@threedeuce5 See, you say that but Vista didn't sell this well... XP didn't sell this well... people buy and upgrade when they hear of how great it is or see for themselves. MS doesn't wave a wand and automatically get these sales figures with every new OS released.... Windows 7 is the best OS out on the market and people clearly are taking notice.
@timotim ehhh I wouldn't say the "best".... but definitely the most distributed and definitely the most salient. Many people are just unaware that there are other OS's out there and as such just keep purchasing Windows. People hated Vista so much that they kept their XP Machines running longer or they just opted for a downgrade from a OEM.
It's awesome that Microsoft repackaged WinVista with some "new" features and a new name and it sold millions! As a Mac user I really liked Vista and thought MS was on the right track. I realized that the reason most people "hated" Vista was because it was different and because sheep hate change. MS knew that they would need a scapegoat for the impending XP withdrawal and Vista worked perfectly. In October they released 7, the savior from the Vista monster, and people have flocked to it not realizing that it is Vista repackaged...... lolz.... Sheep are funny XD
@threedeuce5
"As a Mac user I really liked Vista and thought MS was on the right track."
Goes to show what Mac users know about OS.
@threedeuce5
sir, you have not idea.
With global PC sales for 2010 predicted to be close to 400 million units - isn't the current pace of windows 7 sales of 25 million a month (article mentions 50 million in last 2 months) actually below what you would expect a company with 90% market share - isn't this actually a bad number for Microsoft since it also includes people upgrading?
Plus if you add up all the iPod touches + iPhones + ipads + snow leopard upgrades + macs sold each quarter, apple are close to catching the 25 million number with their variants of OS X a month. Oh and they also sell all the hardware to go with it....
@Kiwipoweredkiwi
Well you forgot all the Exchange, SQLServer, Window Server 2008, Sharepoit, Xbox 360 licenses Microsoft is selling as well. To prove you no so little about technology, you compared a cell phone and a MP3 player to a PC. You actually think a iPad is a computer.. a real computer. Ha that's funny.
@gmcboot
My ipod touch & ipads aren't computing devices? gee, I'll have to remember that next time I'm using them to edit a video, doing some word processing, surfing the next, playing some online multiplayer games, running skype or a keynote presentation at work.
Im sure once I realise its not a computer im going to be most dissapointed....especially one with a 10 hour battery life.
@gmcboot
...oh and if we are lumping in all the non-core OS 'licences' like you mention, then I might as well throw in every ipod shuffle, nano & classic OS, along with the apple TVs, x-serves, Airport express & airport extremes, time capsule devices sold. And if we are including OS upgrade licences that microsoft has included in its figures, why dont we add the almost 100 million iOS devices that have access to the new iOS 4 release as of a few days ago.
gee I think we are looking at a slightly bigger number now aren't we....
i upgraded from XP to 7 and skip Vista.
Will stick on it next 5 years or more.
It's not a surprise if a software sales are high especially if it's good. Great software games, apps, os, etc. deserves a buy. Good thing MS finally released a better OS... well... compared to vista at least. lol.