Microsoft’s bet that Windows 10 will be adopted faster if offered as a free upgrade is paying off. Corporate Vice President Yusuf Medhi announced the new operating system has already been installed on 75 million devices worldwide along with some other interesting facts such as the adoption rate of apps.
Windows 10 was launched on July 29 and is already installed on 75 million different devices across 192 countries, according to a barrage of Twitter posts by Mehdi. By comparison, the oft-derided Windows 8 sold 40 million licenses in its first month, per a Windows Blog post by Microsoft in 2012.
Clearly, the free upgrade aspect of Windows 10 is driving the higher adoption rate for the new operating system. The move is seen as a way to get both Windows 7 and Windows 8 users into the Windows 10 ecosystem and drive the use of services such as Office 365, OneDrive, and Skype, as well as encourage more apps to be downloaded from the Windows Store, which in turn encourages more developers to create apps.
We likely won’t hear about an uptick in Microsoft’s subscription until their next investor call, but Mehdi is bullish on app downloads thus far.
8. #Windows10 : Windows Store for Windows 10 has seen 6X more app downloads per device than Windows 8. 8/10 pic.twitter.com/OusimL2Xjd
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
The prominent display of the Windows Store on the new taskbar, start menu, and search combined with the ability to run Metro-style apps in a traditional windowed interface. Microsoft is also developing “universal apps” for Windows 10 that will run across different device types – PC, tablet, smartphone, and even Xbox One later this year when the console is updated with a flavor of the operating system.
When will the Windows 10 adoption rate slow down? There are headwinds in the PC industry as IDC forecasts PC shipment declining over through 2016 before picking back up in 2017. However, the free upgrade to Windows 10 is seen as contributing to that slowdown as consumers opt for the free upgrade over purchasing a new computer. Here are Mehdi’s tweets on the first month of Windows 10, which include a thank you to celebrities for helping promote the operating system’s launch.
1. #Windows10 : More than 75 million devices running Windows 10 – and growing every day. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/g0kqGizU0c
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
2. #Windows10 : Windows 10 is running in 192 countries, virtually every country on the planet. 2/10 pic.twitter.com/GcAzAd501T
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
3. #Windows10 : More than 90,000 unique PC or tablet models have upgraded to Windows 10. 3/10 pic.twitter.com/dEHWnBf1g9
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
4. #Windows10 : Even some devices manufactured in 2007 have upgraded to Windows 10. 4/10 pic.twitter.com/Jo14necMkY
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
5. #Windows10 : More than 122 years of gameplay have streamed from Xbox One to Windows 10 devices. 5/10 pic.twitter.com/viUMnSV8wM
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
#Windows10 :10 million achievements unlocked: Microsoft Solitaire Collection, Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta 6/10 pic.twitter.com/2tEmkBvmGZ
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
#Windows10 : In response to “tell me a joke”, Cortana has told over half a million jokes since launch. ? 7/10 pic.twitter.com/ztDSTod2Rg
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
9. #Windows10 : Over 2,000 organizations vying to win the global partner slot in #UpgradeYourWorld . 9/10 pic.twitter.com/sfn8VJGWxX
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
10. #Windows 10: Thank you @KimKardashian , @ladygaga , @therock , and all who helped to #UpgradeYourWorld . Do Great Things. 10/10
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
[Images via Windows]