Market share down to 89.7% as a measurement of mobile and desktop operating systems combined
Net Applications – which combines mobile and desktop operating systems into a single statistic – states that Windows market share is now below 90%; dropping from 93.74% in February 2009 to 89.7% this week.
This number does include mobile and desktop operating systems. Windows isn’t dropping below 90% for desktop operating systems, the measurement is in regards to a combination of mobile and desktop systems. While this may be initially a relief in Redmond, it is also a warning.
More and more people are buying mobile operating systems, and most of them are not buying Windows Mobile or Windows 7 phones. Microsoft may have shipped two million Windows 7 phones already, but Apple shipped a lot more iPhones in its first two months … and Android adoption has outpaced the iPhone. Unfortunately, two million phones isn’t that fast a product adoption.
How many of those individuals buying phones may decide a desktop/laptop is no longer necessary? It will depend on what they’re using the device for. There are already warnings out that cell phone camera capability is will be the writing on the wall for standalone cameras. Anything’s possible, remember we used to use film in our cameras! Its reasonable to think there are some individuals who will decide a smart phone can replace a laptop. Its happening with landlines as more and more individuals decide to rely on cell phone service exclusively. The last time I called my landline carrier, they almost fell over themselves with hospitality that I wasn’t calling to cancel my service.
It would behoove Redmond to take this statistic as a warning. Whether it’s too late to regain market share in the mobile market is anyone’s guess. So far, Microsoft hasn’t kept up with the competition, and that’s not a good place to be in.
