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.
Windows Drops Under 60% in Global Desktop OS Share for the First Time in Years
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- KVRAF
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
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.
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.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
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: ???
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: ???
Last edited by audiojunkie on Wed Jul 08, 2026 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRian
- 1313 posts since 3 May, 2005 from Victoria, BC
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.
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.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
I agree completely. Statcounter is a really crappy way to count world OS adoption.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.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
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.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.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRian
- 647 posts since 24 Feb, 2008 from Germany
That's exactly what makes me skeptical too.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.
Windows appears to lose roughly the same share that "Unknown" gains over the same period. That usually points to a change in measurement or classification rather than a sudden shift in the actual market.
A much more plausible explanation is that an increasing number of Windows users are simply no longer being identified correctly because browsers expose less information than they used to (User-Agent reduction, Client Hints, privacy features, etc.). Those visits end up in "Unknown" instead of "Windows". It fits to how the privacy setttings featurers in Chrome has grown.
If Windows had really lost that much market share in such a short time, you'd expect to see the same trend reflected across multiple independent sources, not just statistics pages like Statcounter. But that's not the case.
“The biggest crime of a musician is to play notes instead of making music.”
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
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- KVRian
- 1160 posts since 26 Feb, 2006 from Fartland
Not surprising at all...
- Linux just keeps getting better.
- MS has been busy trying to "destroy" Windows XP's legacy for a long time ( not that 10/11 is bad, but it is full of bloat crap and connected services most people don't need ).
- Apple just keeps being Apple, but those M processor series are really powerful.
Now, /me gets back to work in my Windows 7 machine...
- Linux just keeps getting better.
- MS has been busy trying to "destroy" Windows XP's legacy for a long time ( not that 10/11 is bad, but it is full of bloat crap and connected services most people don't need ).
- Apple just keeps being Apple, but those M processor series are really powerful.
Now, /me gets back to work in my Windows 7 machine...
Free MIDI plugins and other stuff:
https://jstuff.wordpress.com
"MIDI 2.0 is an extension of MIDI 1.0. It does not replace MIDI 1.0(...)"
https://jstuff.wordpress.com
"MIDI 2.0 is an extension of MIDI 1.0. It does not replace MIDI 1.0(...)"
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- KVRian
- 1313 posts since 3 May, 2005 from Victoria, BC
I like https://analytics.usa.gov/, it's US only, but I'm ok with that since US is by far my largest market, about 1/3rd of sales.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
Nice! I happen to know that India has the highest Linux usage in the world at 16.x% percent. I can't remember where I read that, but I bet there are other useful sites that can give some better insight into the more accurate numbers.FigBug wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 12:44 pm I like https://analytics.usa.gov/, it's US only, but I'm ok with that since US is by far my largest market, about 1/3rd of sales.
BTW, I like your Wavetable synth.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
OK, I went back and did some searching, and found (again) the site that I read the stat numbers from:
https://fosspost.org/linux-market-share-statistics/
It appears that the per country numbers were also coming from statcounter. The largest number of Linux users come from India. The US is second, with Germany in third, and China in fourth.
But since we've already determined that statcounter is a poor way of gathering world numbers, I don't know how much this can be trusted, other than through rough averages.
I think the only way to get a good idea of accurate numbers is to look at multiple sets of numbers and determine the general trend--Linux is rising, and Windows and MacOS is dropping. There are multiple sources that indicate the trends, but getting actual correct numbers is highly unlikely.
https://fosspost.org/linux-market-share-statistics/
It appears that the per country numbers were also coming from statcounter. The largest number of Linux users come from India. The US is second, with Germany in third, and China in fourth.
But since we've already determined that statcounter is a poor way of gathering world numbers, I don't know how much this can be trusted, other than through rough averages.
I think the only way to get a good idea of accurate numbers is to look at multiple sets of numbers and determine the general trend--Linux is rising, and Windows and MacOS is dropping. There are multiple sources that indicate the trends, but getting actual correct numbers is highly unlikely.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
OK, with help from AI, I gathered some sources for gathering information about this topic:
* Type: Web usage analytics
* Website: https://gs.statcounter.com
* Measures: Desktop OS share, mobile OS share, browser share
* Strengths:
-----Large global dataset (billions of page views)
-----Country-by-country breakdowns
-----Long historical trends
* Weaknesses:
-----Measures web activity, not installed systems
-----Can over/underrepresent certain regions or demographics
* Most useful for: General desktop trend direction.
------------------
Statista
* Type: Aggregator of market research
* Website: https://www.statista.com
* Measures: OS market share, version adoption, regional data
* Strengths:
-----Consolidates many industry reports
-----Often includes historical datasets
* Weaknesses:
-----Much data is behind a paywall
* Most useful for: Cross-checking other sources.
-----------------
Digital Analytics Program (DAP)
* Type: US Federal Government web analytics
* Website: https://analytics.usa.gov
* Measures: Devices, browsers, operating systems visiting US government websites
* Strengths:
-----Extremely large real-world usage sample
-----Public and transparent
-----Covers millions of users
* Weaknesses:
-----Primarily US-focused
-----Measures visitors rather than installations
* Most useful for: Actual citizen OS usage patterns
---------------
USA.gov Analytics
* Type: Government web traffic analytics
* Website: https://www.usa.gov/website-analytics
* Measures: Browser and OS usage among government website visitors
* Strengths:
-----Public data
-----Large sample sizes
* Most useful for: US consumer trends.
--------------------
Data.gov
* Type: Open government data portal
* Website: https://www.data.gov
* Measures: Potential source of downloadable technology datasets
* Most useful for: Finding additional government technology metrics.
--------------------
Stack Overflow Developer Survey
* Type: Annual developer survey
* Website: https://survey.stackoverflow.co
* Measures:
-----Developer OS preferences
-----Professional vs personal OS usage
-----Technology ecosystem adoption
* Strengths:
-----Tens of thousands of respondents globally
-----One of the largest developer surveys
* Weaknesses:
-----Focuses on developers, not general users
* Most useful for: Predicting future technical ecosystem direction.
------------------------------
GitHub
* Type: Software development platform
* Website: https://github.com
* Measures indirectly:
-----Open-source participation
-----Platform adoption trends
* Most useful for: Open-source and Linux ecosystem growth.
----------------------------
Steam Hardware & Software Survey
* Type: Gaming platform survey
* Website: https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
* Measures:
-----Windows/macOS/Linux usage
-----Version adoption
-----Hardware ownership
* Strengths:
-----Huge PC gaming population
-----Monthly updates
-----Historically good at detecting Linux gaming growth
* Weaknesses:
-----Represents gamers, not general users
-----Most useful for: Linux desktop adoption and Windows version migration.
-------------------------
GamingOnLinux Steam Analysis
* Type: Independent analysis
* Website: https://www.gamingonlinux.com
* Measures: Linux-specific interpretation of Steam data
* Most useful for: Distribution-level Linux gaming trends.
-----------------------------
Microsoft Earnings and Annual Reports
* Type: Corporate financial reporting
* Website: https://www.microsoft.com/investor
* Measures indirectly:
-----Windows OEM revenue
-----Commercial Windows adoption
-----Enterprise device trends
* Most useful for: Enterprise Windows health.
-------------------------------
Apple Investor Relations
* Type: Corporate financial reporting
* Website: https://investor.apple.com
* Measures indirectly:
-----Mac shipments
-----Mac revenue trends
* Most useful for: Mac market momentum.
---------------------------------
SEC Filings
* Type: Regulatory filings
* Website: https://www.sec.gov
* Measures: Official corporate disclosures
* Most useful for: Verifying vendor claims.
--------------------------------
Synergy Research Group
* Type: Cloud infrastructure market research
* Website: https://www.srgresearch.com
* Measures:
-----AWS
-----Azure
-----Google Cloud
-----Data center spending
* Most useful for: Cloud platform growth.
---------------------------
Canalys
* Type: Technology market analyst
* Website: https://www.canalys.com
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Cloud growth
-----Enterprise adoption
* Most useful for: Hardware migration trends
--------------------------
Gartner
* Type: Enterprise research
* Website: https://www.gartner.com
* Measures: Enterprise OS and infrastructure adoption
* Weakness: Expensive/paywalled.
--------------------------
IDC
* Type: Market research
* Website: https://www.idc.com
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Workplace computing
-----OS ecosystems
* Most useful for: Enterprise and commercial deployments.
------------------------------
W3Techs
* Type: Web technology analysis
* Website: https://w3techs.com
* Measures:
-----Server OS
-----Web server software
-----Hosting technologies
* Strengths:
-----Excellent for Linux server dominance tracking
* Most useful for: Internet-facing infrastructure.
-------------------------------
Netcraft
* Type: Internet infrastructure analytics
* Website: https://www.netcraft.com
* Measures:
-----Hosting
-----Server platforms
-----Web technologies
* Most useful for: Long-term server trends.
-------------------------------
TOP500
* Type: Supercomputer ranking
* Website: https://www.top500.org
* Measures: Operating systems on world's fastest supercomputers
* Importance:
-----Shows high-performance computing trends
-----Linux has dominated the TOP500 for years
* Most useful for: Scientific and HPC adoption.
----------------------------
Linux Foundation
* Website: https://www.linuxfoundation.org
* Measures:
-----Membership growth
-----Ecosystem activity
-----Industry participation
-----------------------------
CNCF
* Website: https://www.cncf.io
* Measures:
-----Kubernetes adoption
-----Cloud-native infrastructure
* Useful because: Most Kubernetes deployments run on Linux.
-----------------------------
IDC PC Tracker
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Regional growth
-----Vendor share
-------------------------------
Canalys PC Market Reports
* Measures:
-----Windows PC shipments
-----Chromebook shipments
-----Mac shipments
------------------------------
Gartner PC Market Reports
* Measures:
-----Installed-base growth
-----Business purchasing trends
------------------------------
Taken together, all of these sources should allow us to see a much better picture of the OS trends--particularly, which OSes are growing in adoption, and which OSes are shrinking in adoption.
Does anyone disagree? Does anyone have any sources to add?
StatCounter Global StatsIf your goal is to determine real-world OS trends rather than relying on a single market-share chart, the best approach is to combine many different datasets that measure different populations. No single source is authoritative. StatCounter measures web usage, Steam measures gamers, Stack Overflow measures developers, cloud providers measure infrastructure, governments measure citizens accessing services, etc. Their combined direction often reveals the actual trend.
* Type: Web usage analytics
* Website: https://gs.statcounter.com
* Measures: Desktop OS share, mobile OS share, browser share
* Strengths:
-----Large global dataset (billions of page views)
-----Country-by-country breakdowns
-----Long historical trends
* Weaknesses:
-----Measures web activity, not installed systems
-----Can over/underrepresent certain regions or demographics
* Most useful for: General desktop trend direction.
------------------
Statista
* Type: Aggregator of market research
* Website: https://www.statista.com
* Measures: OS market share, version adoption, regional data
* Strengths:
-----Consolidates many industry reports
-----Often includes historical datasets
* Weaknesses:
-----Much data is behind a paywall
* Most useful for: Cross-checking other sources.
-----------------
Digital Analytics Program (DAP)
* Type: US Federal Government web analytics
* Website: https://analytics.usa.gov
* Measures: Devices, browsers, operating systems visiting US government websites
* Strengths:
-----Extremely large real-world usage sample
-----Public and transparent
-----Covers millions of users
* Weaknesses:
-----Primarily US-focused
-----Measures visitors rather than installations
* Most useful for: Actual citizen OS usage patterns
---------------
USA.gov Analytics
* Type: Government web traffic analytics
* Website: https://www.usa.gov/website-analytics
* Measures: Browser and OS usage among government website visitors
* Strengths:
-----Public data
-----Large sample sizes
* Most useful for: US consumer trends.
--------------------
Data.gov
* Type: Open government data portal
* Website: https://www.data.gov
* Measures: Potential source of downloadable technology datasets
* Most useful for: Finding additional government technology metrics.
--------------------
Stack Overflow Developer Survey
* Type: Annual developer survey
* Website: https://survey.stackoverflow.co
* Measures:
-----Developer OS preferences
-----Professional vs personal OS usage
-----Technology ecosystem adoption
* Strengths:
-----Tens of thousands of respondents globally
-----One of the largest developer surveys
* Weaknesses:
-----Focuses on developers, not general users
* Most useful for: Predicting future technical ecosystem direction.
------------------------------
GitHub
* Type: Software development platform
* Website: https://github.com
* Measures indirectly:
-----Open-source participation
-----Platform adoption trends
* Most useful for: Open-source and Linux ecosystem growth.
----------------------------
Steam Hardware & Software Survey
* Type: Gaming platform survey
* Website: https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
* Measures:
-----Windows/macOS/Linux usage
-----Version adoption
-----Hardware ownership
* Strengths:
-----Huge PC gaming population
-----Monthly updates
-----Historically good at detecting Linux gaming growth
* Weaknesses:
-----Represents gamers, not general users
-----Most useful for: Linux desktop adoption and Windows version migration.
-------------------------
GamingOnLinux Steam Analysis
* Type: Independent analysis
* Website: https://www.gamingonlinux.com
* Measures: Linux-specific interpretation of Steam data
* Most useful for: Distribution-level Linux gaming trends.
-----------------------------
Microsoft Earnings and Annual Reports
* Type: Corporate financial reporting
* Website: https://www.microsoft.com/investor
* Measures indirectly:
-----Windows OEM revenue
-----Commercial Windows adoption
-----Enterprise device trends
* Most useful for: Enterprise Windows health.
-------------------------------
Apple Investor Relations
* Type: Corporate financial reporting
* Website: https://investor.apple.com
* Measures indirectly:
-----Mac shipments
-----Mac revenue trends
* Most useful for: Mac market momentum.
---------------------------------
SEC Filings
* Type: Regulatory filings
* Website: https://www.sec.gov
* Measures: Official corporate disclosures
* Most useful for: Verifying vendor claims.
--------------------------------
Synergy Research Group
* Type: Cloud infrastructure market research
* Website: https://www.srgresearch.com
* Measures:
-----AWS
-----Azure
-----Google Cloud
-----Data center spending
* Most useful for: Cloud platform growth.
---------------------------
Canalys
* Type: Technology market analyst
* Website: https://www.canalys.com
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Cloud growth
-----Enterprise adoption
* Most useful for: Hardware migration trends
--------------------------
Gartner
* Type: Enterprise research
* Website: https://www.gartner.com
* Measures: Enterprise OS and infrastructure adoption
* Weakness: Expensive/paywalled.
--------------------------
IDC
* Type: Market research
* Website: https://www.idc.com
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Workplace computing
-----OS ecosystems
* Most useful for: Enterprise and commercial deployments.
------------------------------
W3Techs
* Type: Web technology analysis
* Website: https://w3techs.com
* Measures:
-----Server OS
-----Web server software
-----Hosting technologies
* Strengths:
-----Excellent for Linux server dominance tracking
* Most useful for: Internet-facing infrastructure.
-------------------------------
Netcraft
* Type: Internet infrastructure analytics
* Website: https://www.netcraft.com
* Measures:
-----Hosting
-----Server platforms
-----Web technologies
* Most useful for: Long-term server trends.
-------------------------------
TOP500
* Type: Supercomputer ranking
* Website: https://www.top500.org
* Measures: Operating systems on world's fastest supercomputers
* Importance:
-----Shows high-performance computing trends
-----Linux has dominated the TOP500 for years
* Most useful for: Scientific and HPC adoption.
----------------------------
Linux Foundation
* Website: https://www.linuxfoundation.org
* Measures:
-----Membership growth
-----Ecosystem activity
-----Industry participation
-----------------------------
CNCF
* Website: https://www.cncf.io
* Measures:
-----Kubernetes adoption
-----Cloud-native infrastructure
* Useful because: Most Kubernetes deployments run on Linux.
-----------------------------
IDC PC Tracker
* Measures:
-----PC shipments
-----Regional growth
-----Vendor share
-------------------------------
Canalys PC Market Reports
* Measures:
-----Windows PC shipments
-----Chromebook shipments
-----Mac shipments
------------------------------
Gartner PC Market Reports
* Measures:
-----Installed-base growth
-----Business purchasing trends
------------------------------
Taken together, all of these sources should allow us to see a much better picture of the OS trends--particularly, which OSes are growing in adoption, and which OSes are shrinking in adoption.
Does anyone disagree? Does anyone have any sources to add?
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
I don't know about anyone else, but the numbers I'm interested are specifically for current, un-depreciated products:
Windows 11
MacOS
Linux
I don't know if this information can actually be found or not, or if we would just be able to determine average trends, but this would be my ultimate goal. If this info can't be found, I'll have to just be satisfied with OS adoption gain/shrinkage.
Windows 11
MacOS
Linux
I don't know if this information can actually be found or not, or if we would just be able to determine average trends, but this would be my ultimate goal. If this info can't be found, I'll have to just be satisfied with OS adoption gain/shrinkage.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7293 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
Through using your numbers only (which we know is just US numbers):FigBug wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 12:44 pm I like https://analytics.usa.gov/, it's US only, but I'm ok with that since US is by far my largest market, about 1/3rd of sales.
Windows 11: 19.1%
Macintosh: (doesn't differentiate between OSX or MacOS): 16%
Linux: 4.6%
Everything else: depreciated
I read elsewhere that the MacOS numbers were around 8%. I'll have to look and see if I can find that.
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)