this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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Windows seemingly lost 400 million users in the past three years — official Microsoft statements show hints of a shrinking user base (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 4 days ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/tech@programming.dev
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Microsoft EVP Yusuf Mehdi said in a blog post last week that Windows powers over a billion active devices globally. This might sound like a healthy number, but according to ZDNET, the Microsoft annual report for 2022 said that more than 1.4 billion devices were running Windows 10 or 11. Given that these documents contain material information and have allegedly been pored over by the tech giant’s lawyers, we can safely assume that Windows’ user base has been quietly shrinking in the past three years, shedding around 400 million users.

This is probably why Microsoft has been aggressively pushing users to upgrade to Windows 11 after the previous version of the OS loses support — so that its users would install the latest version of Windows on their current system (or get a new PC if their system is incapable of running the latest version). Although macOS is a threat to Windows, especially with the launch of Apple Silicon, we cannot say that those 400 million users all went and bought a MacBook. That’s because, as far back as 2023, Mac sales have also been dropping, with Statista reporting the computer line, once holding more than 85% of the company revenue, now making up just 7.7%.

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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 28 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Gaming and corporate software are the last strongholds, but mobile gaming keeps growing and I see more and more people using tablets for office work. Especially when companies keep moving more of their core applications to the cloud with web/app interfaces.

[–] hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 14 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I see that, too. Always makes me feel like a boomer (despite being in the wrong age group to be one), because I like my computer for the hundred and something keys which fit snuggly underneath all fingers, the separate keys for brackets and umlauts and numbers. And that I can open and operate like 3 programs next to each other while doing work. Somehow people younger than me(?) do it very differently.

(Plus I can install an operating system I really like on my computer.)

[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

lol corporate isn't a stronghold. It's a big part were the erosion is coming from. So many businesses don't need x86 and windows any more. Low power arm is the current hotness and ai is an expensive joke

[–] CandleTiger@programming.dev 1 points 23 hours ago

Most of my division has switched to macs over the past few years. I've always been a mac guy but having my IT department offer the switch a few years ago was a surprise, and seeing my coworkers actually choose it has been kind of a shock.

[–] Kyle_The_G@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I'm forced to use windows for work and I absolutely loathe it. I'd rather go home and use my mac than deal with all the bloat, ads and nonsense. I just find it insufferable.

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah I can't believe my employer forces me to use a computer that's constantly popping up trying to get me to play games or read gossip.

[–] Kyle_The_G@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

ya so much for productivity tools haha!

[–] teppa@piefed.ca 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I use Windows Server and Azure, and everything Microsoft touches is garbage, including Azure and all their new stuff.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

my old state uni and my current job uses microsoft apps/azure. and i noticed the computers at work already upgraded to a newer version. the UI looks terrible.