KVR Audio

audiojunkie · Post by **audiojunkie** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 4:53 pm

It's really interesting timing, considering we've been discussing OS numbers for quite a while in another thread. I figure this thread can be a new discussion.

Windows Drops Under 60% in Global Desktop OS Share for the First Time in Years

https://linuxiac.com/windows-drops-unde ... -in-years/

Windows’ long-standing dominance of the desktop operating system market has taken a noticeable hit, according to StatCounter’s latest worldwide desktop OS market-share data.

In June 2026, StatCounter reported that Windows made up 56.55% of global desktop OS usage, dropping Microsoft’s share below 60%. This is a big change for an operating system that has shaped desktop computing for decades and usually led its competitors by a wide margin.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-sh ... 505-202606

Linux, meanwhile, continues its gradual rise. StatCounter’s June 2026 data puts Linux at 4.39% worldwide, one of its strongest recent showings in the company’s desktop OS statistics. While still far behind Windows, the figure keeps Linux firmly above the symbolic 4% line, which only a few years ago would have looked highly optimistic for the desktop.

Apple’s desktop platforms also remain a major part of the picture. StatCounter lists OS X at 11.89% and macOS at 4.48% for June 2026, meaning Apple’s combined desktop presence remains comfortably ahead of Linux in the global chart. Chrome OS follows with 1.21%.

Of course, StatCounter’s numbers should be read for what they are: web usage statistics, not a direct count of installed operating systems.

The company calculates its Global Stats from page views across websites using its tracking code, analyzing details such as browser, operating system, and screen resolution. In other words, the figures reflect measured web activity rather than the number of machines actually installed worldwide.

Still, this trend is worth noting. Windows is still the world’s most popular desktop operating system by a large margin, but dropping below 60% is a significant milestone. At the same time, Linux staying above 4% shows that open-source desktops are now a real part of the global market, not just a tiny fraction.

https://linuxiac.com/linux-crosses-four ... worldwide/

A few things may be helping Linux keep growing. The Steam Deck and better support for gaming on Linux have made it more visible to everyday users. Yes, it is still tough to compete on the desktop with Microsoft and Apple, but things are moving in a positive direction.

Distributions like Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, Linux Mint, openSUSE, and others are also offering smoother desktop experiences. Plus, some people are frustrated with Windows 11’s hardware requirements, privacy concerns, and Microsoft’s push for more online services, which may be leading them to try other options.

So, what conclusion can we draw from all of this? The most accurate way to put it is that StatCounter data shows one clear thing: now, the market is less one-sided than before. And that is a good thing.

audiojunkie · Post by **audiojunkie** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:23 pm

What I find interesting, is that MacOS adoption vs Linux adoption:

Windows: 56.61%
Unknown: 21.45%
OS X: 11.89%
MacOS: 4.48%
Linux: 4.36%
ChromeOS: 1.21%

I personally feel that Statcounter is such a flawed way for the world to determine OS numbers. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the Windows number is "NOT" just counting Windows 11. I'd be willing to bet that the Windows number combines Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and even Windows XP.

At least MacOS is separated correctly. But OS X, as all of you developers know, is depreciated, and uses Intel chips, rather than Apple's own M series chips. Apple turned its back on Intel chips years ago, and less and less developers are supporting OS X nowadays.

Another thing that continually irks me about statcounter is how ChromeOS is not combined with Linux, but rather treated as a separate OS. Sure, Google created their own desktop environment. Sure, they made a few different architectural choices. But under the hood, ChromeOS uses the Linux kernel, systemd, standard Linux drivers, the Linux networking stack, Linux filesystems, Linux security mechanisms (namespaces, cgroups, seccomp, etc). A chromebook can boot Linux programs because it is genuinely Linux-based, not Linux inspired. You can even download and install ChromeOS just like any other distro. Google only allows the official "consumer" version to be installed on branded Chromebooks, but they release Chrome OS Flex for everyone who wants to use ChromeOS on non-branded hardware. It is essentially Linux, and should be counted as such.

The final thing that really bothers me is the "unknown" section that is listed. The primary reason for this is that Statcounter only tracks: Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, Samsung Internet, Opera, Brave, Android, and UC browser.

None of the following browsers are tracked, and are simply grouped in the unknown section: Goanna, Servo, LibWeb, NetSurf, or Flow. And remember, these are engines, not actual browser types. Browsers use engines, but there can be more browsers using the same engine, for example: Pale Moon and Basilisk, or K-Meleon uses Goanna. Ladybird uses LibWeb. Most of these are primarily Linux based, and not counted at all by statcounter, except to be known as "Unknown".

There needs to be a better and more accurate way to track OS adoption and usage.

audiojunkie · Post by **audiojunkie** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:26 pm

It's my personal opinion, that if you were to separate the Windows versions and only count Windows 11, MacOS, and Linux (with ChromeOS combined), and identified the unknown OSes in Statcounter, the numbers would be much, much closer to each other.

I can't guess as to the Windows 11 numbers vs the older retired versions, but if you compared MacOS alone versus Linux with ChromeOS, leaving out outdated, depreciated OSes, you'd get:

Windows 11: ???
MacOS: 4.48%
Linux: 4.36%+1.21% = 5.57%
Depreciated OSes: ???

FigBug · Post by **FigBug** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:29 pm

These results are really suspect, how can they not identify the OS of over 20% of web users?

And the macOS / OS X thing is really bizarre. It was renamed to macOS in 2016. There is no way more people are using El Capitan and earlier than Sierra and later.

audiojunkie · Post by **audiojunkie** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:32 pm

FigBug wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:29 pm These results are really suspect, how can they not identify the OS of over 20% of web users?

And the macOS / OS X thing is really bizarre. It was renamed to macOS in 2016. There is no way more people are using El Capitan and earlier than Sierra and later.

I agree completely. Statcounter is a really crappy way to count world OS adoption.

audiojunkie · Post by **audiojunkie** » Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:34 pm

FigBug wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:29 pm These results are really suspect, how can they not identify the OS of over 20% of web users?

And the macOS / OS X thing is really bizarre. It was renamed to macOS in 2016. There is no way more people are using El Capitan and earlier than Sierra and later.

In my opinion, when counting current OSes, such as Windows 11, Linux/ChromeOS, and MacOS, the current processor used should be part of the consideration. Apple no longer uses Intel, but uses their own "M" series chips. Those are the only ones that should be counted as a current OS.