Microsoft’s (MSFT) 10-year old operating system, Windows XP, is still the most popular platform in the world but Windows 7 isn’t far behind. According to data from Web analytics firm Net Applications, Windows XP captured a 42.86% share of the market in the month of July, compared to Windows 7’s 42.21%. Microsoft’s latest operating system has seen tremendous growth over the past year, though; in July 2011, Windows 7 held a mere 29.6% share of traffic while Windows XP had more than 52%. Windows XP was launched in 2001 and has had far more success with many businesses and consumers than any of other operating systems. Microsoft is planning to cut off support for XP by April 2014, however, forcing users to upgrade or be left in the dark. As a whole, Windows accounted for 92% of all traffic on Net Applications’s network in July, while Apple’s (AAPL) Mac OS X captured 7%, an increase from less than 6% in July 2011.
[Via CNET]
