Windows 10 grabs share but XP refuses to die

Windows XP share grows in August

Windows 10 grabbed more than a percentage point of market share in the global desktop market last month, according to the latest NetMarketShare figures, which also show gains for ancient OS Windows XP.

In September, Windows 10's market share reached 6.63 per cent globally, up from 5.21 per cent the month before. The combined share of its predecessors Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 fell from 13.95 per cent last month, to 13.32 per cent in September.

Popular OS Windows 7 maintained the lion's share of the market but its slice shrank from 57.67 per cent in August to 56.53 per cent last month.

Windows XP, on the other hand, saw its share of the global desktop market increase, despite support for it ending more than a year ago. It was launched back in 2002. In September, XP's global share reached 12.21 per cent, up from 12.14 per cent in August.

Windows 10's apparent popularity comes as Microsoft moves to reassure users about its privacy policy.

In a blog post released earlier this week, Microsoft Windows boss Terry Myerson insisted the OS has privacy at its core.

"In today's connected world, maintaining our privacy is an incredibly important topic to each of us, thus we welcome the questions and the feedback we have received since launching Windows 10," he said.

"Trust is a core pillar of our 'more personal computing' vision, and we know we have to earn it. We have taken time to expand the documentation on our approach today with this blog. I assure you that no other company is more committed, more transparent and listening harder to customers on this important topic than we are.

"From the very beginning, we designed Windows 10 with two straightforward privacy principles in mind: Windows 10 collects information so the product will work better for you; [and] you are in control, with the ability to determine what information is collected."