- Windows 11 is now being used by 400 million people every month, three years after its launch.
- In comparison, Windows 10 hit that milestone in two years.
- Microsoft is considering Windows 11 a success despite the slow pickup as it prepares for the launch of Windows 12.
The pace of reach of Windows 11 has been significantly slower than that of Windows 10, with the latest operating system from Microsoft only now reaching over 400 million monthly active users.
This is according to a report from Windows Central, citing internal Microsoft data seen by the publication.
Windows 11 has been on the market since 2021, and has only now reached the 400 million milestone. In contrast, Windows 10, launched in 2015, reached the same heights in just over one year, and eventually saw 1 billion users in early 2020.
Meanwhile, Windows 10 took around two years to supersede the popularity of Windows 7 before it.
There are several reasons for the slow growth of Windows 11 compared to that of Windows 10, one of which is how differently the two operating systems were launched.
Windows 10 was launched as a free update for all PCs running Windows 8.1 and most that were running Windows 7. Microsoft made sure to say that the “free” part of the Windows 10 upgrade would only last for about a year, pressuring users to turn to the new OS.
Another key aspect to the growth of Windows 10 was seen by many users as a way for Microsoft to patch over the mistakes of Windows 8 and 7, and before these the absolute failure of Windows Vista.
The installation requirements for Windows 10 were also much less strict than those of the latest Microsoft OS. As such more PCs were able to see the upgrade.
Windows 11’s CPU and TPM requirements all but exclude PCs made before 2018, which may be why uptake has slugged along compared to previous versions. Windows Central reports that internal Microsoft goals for the rollout of the OS, however, have been far exceeded and Windows 11 has been more than successful for Microsoft from a userbase standpoint.
The Redmond, Washington firm is now focusing on the future of the Windows platform with a keen eye on generative artificial intelligence (AI). In September Microsoft rolled out more features of its Copilot AI across Windows 11, and expectations abound that next Windows release – “Windows 12” will feature AI capabilities front and centre.
If reports that Microsoft has moved to a three-year development cycle, then Windows 12, or whatever it may be called, will release next year in 2024.
