Will Windows 10 every hit a billion users?

I wonder if the decline of the PC is faster than the upgrade to Windows 10. I spend most of my time using an iPad and Android phones. I am insiders with two machine running the latest builds, but here I am using an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard more than the PC. Why? Everything seems to work faster on the iPad. Admittedly, I am not a heavy user. I work with Python, Word and OneNote most days. I wonder how many more have found other methods for doing their work without the PC. So, I am left wondering if Windows 10 will every hit one billion or if it even matters. Will an AI on your wrist be next thing or HoloLens type device take the place of the both the PC and phone?

Conversation 13 comments

  • spacein_vader

    Premium Member
    16 August, 2018 - 8:24 am

    <p>I can't see how it matters to anyone other than Microsoft to be honest, and even then only to their marketing team.</p>

  • StagyarZilDoggo

    Premium Member
    16 August, 2018 - 8:44 am

    <p>PC sales are in decline. (At least they were until the last quarter.)</p><p>PC usage is (probably) not in decline. The sales slump was partly caused by the fact the computers don't get obsolete (therefore don't get replaced) as quickly as they used to. My primary PC is 5 years old, and still good enough for anything but the most GPU-hungry games. A 10 year old Core 2 Duo based PC is still good enough for office / internet / email.</p><p><br></p><p>I think Windows 10 will hit the billion mark around the time Windows 7 goes out of support. (So around 2020.)</p>

    • cjhawkins3rd

      16 August, 2018 - 8:59 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#302191">In reply to StagyarZilDoggo:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree with your point. I wonder when ARM technology will become "good enough" to replace "old" Intel processors. Market might grow with better battery life and "good enough" performance, as PC's could compete with phones.</p>

    • moruobai

      16 August, 2018 - 7:52 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#302191">In reply to StagyarZilDoggo:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Can confirm. Typing this from a 13 year old Gateway with a Core 2 Duo and 8GB ram.</p>

  • Dan1986ist

    Premium Member
    16 August, 2018 - 8:59 am

    <p>Someone correct me on this I'm wrong, but doesn't the billion devices and/or users number include all Windows 10 devices, not just PCs, including XBox and IoT that runs the NT 10.0 kernel?</p>

  • wp7mango

    16 August, 2018 - 9:06 am

    <p>Well, Windows 10 users includes all Windows devices, not just PCs. So, if a HoloLens type device takes the place of your PC and it's running Windows 10, it still counts towards the 1 billion.</p><p><br></p><p>However, realistically, the only people that really care are developers and Microsoft, and possibly Google who gain more advertising revenue.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    16 August, 2018 - 9:52 am

    <p>I'm not so sure it will. It would be a headline worthy figure for MS, but with Windows use slowing, and PC sales showing no signs of a return to the glory days, and MS not having a Win10 mobile device to bulk up the numbers, I'm not so sure. I just wish they'd break down those big numbers they like talking about into actual devices – then we'd see what the true figures are (but they never will). I also stand by the fact that is MS hadn't given away Win10 in the first 12 months, and literally forced it on users even if they didn't want it, I don't think they'd even be at 500m total by now.</p>

  • skane2600

    16 August, 2018 - 12:36 pm

    <p>Perhaps Microsoft will "forget" their claim that "Windows 10 is the last version of Windows" before they hit a billion. There's still some value in refreshing the name of your product and "update" names don't really cut it. Those names are "invisible" to Best Buy or Amazon customers, but "Get a PC with the new Windows 11!" might generate more sales.</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    16 August, 2018 - 6:30 pm

    <p>3.5 years ago MSFT believed there'd be 100m Windows phones, 50m Xboxes and maybe another 50m IoT devices included in the 1 billion estimate. Clearly MSFT didn't reach 800m Windows 10 PCs by 29 July 2018 (3 years after the original Windows 10 production release, 1507) since they're not even acknowledging 700m Windows 10 devices overall.</p><p>I figure MSFT was and remains way too optimistic about the pace at which its enterprise customers would adopt Windows 10.</p>

  • Minke

    16 August, 2018 - 6:42 pm

    <p>At work we are still running Windows 7 and holding out until the last minute, but I suspect we will eventually have to switch to Windows 10. Personally, I believe our business would be better off switching to G Suite, with a couple of PCs running Windows 10 so that we could install specialized programs we need. The bulk of the office would find that G Suite was far better for day-to-day needs, and we would save a fortune. But, management is very conservative, so instead we will probably pay outside IT services a fortune to switch us all to Windows 10, along with inevitable upgrades to computers, etc. It is very hard to change the course of enterprise. At home I keep experimenting with various flavors of Linux, though I usually return to Ubuntu. It is now far easier to maintain a working system than on Windows 10, though there is the occasional software gap that is annoying. I would recommend a Chromebook to most ordinary consumers, which is far superior for their needs.</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      16 August, 2018 - 7:13 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#302343">In reply to Minke:</a></em></blockquote><p>You seem to be mixing OS (Windows 7 and 10) with Office (G Suite and Office 365). They are totally two different things.</p>

      • Minke

        17 August, 2018 - 8:18 am

        <blockquote><a href="#302365"><em>In reply to lvthunder:</em></a><em>I meant to write the office would be better off using G Suite on Chromebooks–using Chrome OS.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • jules_wombat

    17 August, 2018 - 9:01 am

    <p>I doubt it, but its not really an issue anymore. Microsoft has recognised that there is no value in Windows Platform, and is no longer invested in Windows as being a critical to their future. The future business value is the Cloud and Services, not in client platforms, which have been commoditised to zero value. Its only fanboys that remain excited by Windows. </p>

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