Windows 8 finally more popular than XP

Combined share of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 surpasses that of Windows XP for first time

The market share held by Windows 8 has finally overtaken that of Windows XP, just two months before its successor Windows 10 hits the market.

According to Netmarketshare, in May the combined global share for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 reached 16.45 per cent, compared with XP's share which stood at 14.6 per cent.

In April, XP was still more popular than the two Windows 8 offerings, with the former's share standing at 15.93 per cent compared with 14.66 per cent for the latter duo.

Windows 7 is still the most popular operating system overall. In May, its global share stood at 57.76 per cent, down a fraction from April, when it was 58.39 per cent.

Earlier this week Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be available from 29 July and users on Windows 7 and Windows 8 will be able to upgrade for free.

Windows XP remained popular over the past year, despite support for the OS ending in April 2014. The government announced recently that the one-year extended support deal it struck with Microsoft last year has come to an end and will not be renewed because a lot of authorities have now migrated.

Microsoft's global channel chief Phil Sorgen told partners earlier this week that Windows 10 would offer them an "enormous" opportunity.