Windows 10's European market share shrinks slightly for first time

StatCounter data shows Windows 7 share is on the up over the same period

Windows 10's European market share fell fractionally for the first time since its release last month, according to StatCounter, which claims Windows 7 share jumped over the same period – also for the first time since Windows 10's release.

The online market data site claims that in September, Windows 10's share in Europe slipped slightly to 27.17 per cent, from 27.27 per cent the month before. Although only a small decline, before August, the new OS's share had been rising steadily.

Over the same period, the site claims that Windows 7's share rose slightly from 31.72 per cent to 31.86 per cent. In the months before that, its share had been falling steadily, as Windows 10's rose – but it appears that the operating systems' growth swapped directions in September.

The trend continues into the first two weeks of October, with Windows 10's share falling to 26.17 per cent as of 9 October, while Windows 7's climbed to 32.03 per cent over the same timeframe. But a true comparison with September cannot be made until the full figures for October are released.

Microsoft revealed at the end of last month that on a global basis, 400 million devices are running the operating system. The firm had aimed to smash the one billion figure by its fiscal 2018, but later said that would not be possible due to changes it made to its phone business after setting the goal.